The
importance of Marchesi Piero Antinori’s contribution to Tuscan wine
specifically, to Italian wine generally and to the standing of both in the
wider world of wine cannot easily be overstated. The figures make impressive
enough reading on their own: Piero is the 26th generation of a
family whose unbroken winemaking provenance dates back to 1385; today the
family owned company owns nearly 2500 hectares of vineyards in Italy and
abroad, it produces around 20 million bottles for a turnover in excess of €115
million annually and it exports over 60% of its production to more than 100
different countries (I have even seen Antinori's bottles on the wine list of the
restaurant in the Yak & Yeti hotel in downtown Kathmandu).
Impressive
statistics aside, it is Antinori’s list of wines that has always spoken most
persuasively in favour of the way Piero has chosen to run his family’s estate.
A fervent champion of the inherent value of his native Chianti, and of that of
all of the other Italian wine regions, he has worked long and hard to improve
and modernise the techniques and regulations that traditionally favoured quantity
over quality. Across the board, the standards to which Antinori consistently
holds itself are even more impressive when you consider that it is one of the
larger wine producers in a country of seriously large, and often seriously
mediocre, wine producers.
A
recent tasting of a cross section of Antinori’s wines, in the company of UK
brand ambassador Alex Canetti, confirmed their quality to be as high as ever
just as their names become even longer than ever!
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| Tenuta Guado Al Tasso, Scalabrone Bolgheri Rosato 2010 |
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| Tenuta Guado Al Tasso, Guado Al Tasso Vermentino 2011 |
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| Castello Della Sala, San Giovanni Della Sala Orvieto Classico Superiore 2011 |
3.
Castello Della Sala, San Giovanni Della Sala Orvieto DOC Classico Superiore 2011
(12.5% ABV, 50% Grechetto, 25% Procanico and 25% Pinot Bianco and Viognier).
Along with Soave and Frascati, Orvieto is a wine whose reputation has been
almost irreversibly tarnished by oceans of industrially produced,
personality-free plonk and I find that a terrible shame. This is Antinori’s top
Orvieto and its quality shows. A light, white fruit and blossom nose; the
gently spiced, long, ripe palate echoes the white fruit and blossom from the
nose paired with a fresh, citrusy acidity. The Pinot Bianco and Viognier add
weight without overwhelming. Very good indeed.
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| Castello Della Sala, Cervaro Della Sala 2009 |
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| Tenuta Tignanello, Marchesi Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2007 |
If
ever an Italian wine and a grape variety were synonymous with one another, then
it must surely be Chianti and Sangiovese. I suppose my argument is with the
Chianti DOC for not having sufficient faith in the heritage and quality of its
wines rather than with any individual producer per se, but adding Cabernet Sauvignon and new oak will substantially
alter the nature of any wine. Whilst the standard of Chianti has improved
immeasurably over recent years, and certainly there were many aspects of the
old production methods that needed to be improved upon, it has now become very
difficult to find a traditionally styled wine that tells of its origins. To me,
trying to market centuries of winemaking history and an inimitable terroir that is the apogee of cooler
climate Sangiovese production with modern, Bordeaux-influenced, oak flavoured
wines sends out something of a mixed message. Is the unique identity and timeless
appeal of an important and renowned wine-producing region being sacrificed on
the altar of current trends? Similarly radical reforms were roundly rejected down
the road in Montalcino and I can only wonder if the Chianti region will come to
regret its decision in the future. I don’t say stop making these internationally
influenced wines; just devise a new and more appropriate nomenclature.
Anyway,
back to the wine that was in my glass. Earthy and blackcurrant leaf Cabernet
notes gave an edge to the tobacco, cherry and sweet, new oak nose. Minerally,
earthy suggestions from the Cabernet also balanced the new oak on the palate, leaving
the subtler cherry and leather flavours of the Sangiovese to linger underneath.
Rounded, soft and with a long finish, it was undoubtedly an enjoyable and well-made
wine. Modern? Certainly. Appealing? Definitely. But is it really Chianti?
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| Tenuta Tignanello, Tignanello 2009 |
A
smoky, toasty, brooding black fruit nose was dark and alluring if rather
youthful. The palate was dry with firm, but very finely textured, tannins and
complemented by a fresh, fruity acidity. The higher proportion of Cabernet
Sauvignon and the small but influential proportion of Cabernet Franc gave more
of a black fruit character than was evident in the Chianti Classico above and
the oak was more deftly integrated. Dark, velvety and rich with a hugely long
finish, the Sangiovese character was somewhat masked at present but experience
of some older vintages suggests that this will be remedied over time. This release is still something of a baby and has plenty to offer in the future.
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| Tenuta Guado Al Tasso, Il Bruciato 2009 |
7.
Tenuta Guado Al Tasso, Il Bruciato Bolgheri DOC 2009 (13.5% ABV, 50% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 20% Syrah with other red grape varieties). This is
the newish second wine of Guado Al Tasso that I have only tasted once before,
my abiding memory of this sole previous encounter being the pronounced level of
alcohol (14% if I remember correctly). Black fruit, a hint of oak and a hint of
smokiness characterised the rather simple nose, whereas the rather simple
palate had a slightly burnt quality to it, possibly from the Syrah. Much less obviously alcoholic than before, unfortunately it still did nothing for me,
although it may well have suffered in comparison to the Tignanello that it
immediately followed.
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| Tenuta Guado Al Tasso, Guado Al Tasso 2007 |
An
herbaceous, blackcurranty, savoury nose led seamlessly into complex,
well-structured palate that delivered different facets of flavour in the same
way that a well cut gemstone reflects the light. One moment came the leafy,
blackcurrant flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon, then came the softer, plummier
character of Merlot. The next moment capsicum-tinged Cabernet Franc was
highlighted, before the focus switched to the firmer, tannic Petit Verdot, all
rounded off by beautifully integrated new oak. Beguilingly textured, harmonious
and expertly crafted, the finish lasted and lasted. Bordeaux in inspiration,
Italian in execution.
I
have been an admirer of Antinori’s wines for nearly thirty years (thanks Dad!)
and I can trace my love of Italy’s fresh whites, light rosés and structured
reds to those simpler times of Villa Antinori Bianco, Capsula Viola Rosato and Villa
Antinori Rosso. It was not until later I realised that their freshness,
approachability and food friendliness symbolised the exciting blend of
modernity and tradition that is still an unmistakeable hallmark of Antinori.
In case you were wondering about the title of this post, a fiasco is the traditional round-based bottle or flask of the Chianti region. These bottles would not stand up on their own (hence the word's subsequent meaning) and they were placed in a wicker cradle to support them. Today, it is the wicker-wrapped Chianti bottles so beloved as candle holders that utilise the name, although it is usually the wine inside them that is more worthy of the description.