READ · COMPARE · EXPLAIN
Antinori: steps up to blending in Tignanello
This is a producer from Italy’s Antinori family who owns the Tignanello estate in Tuscany. At flagship Tignanello, the local Sangiovese is blended with Cabernet varieties and aged in barriques.
Follow Tignanello 2022 from harvest to pre-bottling. Note the timing for each variety and the stage when separately vinified lots are blended.
Questions for this course
For blends of three varieties, are they processed together from harvest?
Before you start reading, briefly jot down your thoughts. You will rephrase them at the end.
To applied practice using the material ↓
To explanation task notes ↓Marchesi Antinori / Study by Producer
Italy / Tuscany / Chianti Classico area
Synonym/Label: Antinori / Marchesi Antinori
Update date: 2026-09-24
One plot, three grape varieties
Tignanello is a red wine based mainly on Sangiovese, made from the vineyard of the same name. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are also used. Even if a single vineyard name is listed, this does not mean it is a single-variety wine. The geographical scope and varietal composition should be checked separately.
Harvest order of 2022
In 2022, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc were harvested in mid-September, and Cabernet Sauvignon in the first week of October. Even when the grapes ultimately go into the same wine, the timing for bringing them from vineyard to cellar does not match. The harvest timing shows decisions based on the maturity of each variety.
Aged separately and then blended
After alcoholic fermentation and extraction from the skins, malolactic fermentation is conducted in barrel. At the start of barrel aging, the lots are kept separate, then blended midway before the remaining maturation in barrel. There are choices when to blend, not visible if reading only the finished blend.
Time separated between barrel and bottle.
The barrel aging for 2022 is just over 13 months, using mainly French oak with a small portion of Hungarian oak, and the majority new barrels. Then a further 12 months in bottle. Do not supplement the exact proportion of new barrels from outside this description—prepare the workflow chart only with the stated details.
What to align and what to compare.
Harvest
- Conditions to standardize
- Tignanello 2022
- Conditions for comparison.
- Mid-September and the first week of October
- Additional points to confirm
- Match the timing for each grape variety.
Blend
- Conditions to standardize
- Three varieties from the same vineyard
- Conditions for comparison.
- Blending from different lots
- Additional points to confirm
- Combined during the course of barrel aging.
Aging
- Conditions to standardize
- Process of 2022
- Conditions for comparison.
- Over 13 months in barrel and 12 months in bottle
- Additional points to confirm
- Do not create ratios of new barrels that are not specified
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
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READ · HYPOTHESIZE · RECONSIDER
Reading Antinori's materials: steps up to blending in Tignanello
Verify the ingredients and processes in the materials and consider reasons for differences.
The numbers are based on documentation from the indicated year, or the product description at the time of confirmation. Descriptions without a vintage do not guarantee specifications for all vintages.
| Comparison items | Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest of 2022 | Mid-September | First week of October |
| Initial aging | Divide lots | Divide lots |
| After blending | Continue barrel aging. | Continue barrel aging. |
| Overall maturation | Over 13 months in barrel, 12 months in bottle | Over 13 months in barrel, 12 months in bottle |
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Read the explanation for each question
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Which grape variety was harvested later in 2022?
According to the official documents, the first two varieties were harvested in mid-September, and Cabernet Sauvignon in the first week of October. This is a record for 2022 and not a fixed schedule for every year.
At what stage is the blend?
The lots are first aged separately, then combined and further barrel-aged. Even though the final wine is a blend of three varieties, this does not necessarily mean they were blended from the start.
What barrel information can be reliably established from this explanation?
The key regions and that most is new oak are described in the documentation, but precise percentages are not given. Do not use figures from other years to fill in missing ones.
Basis and sources for the exercise
Practice exercises in comparison
Compare the raw materials and processes in the documentation, and explain the choices made by the producer.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest of 2022 | Mid-September | First week of October |
| Initial aging | Divide lots | Divide lots |
| After blending | Continue barrel aging. | Continue barrel aging. |
| Overall maturation | Over 13 months in barrel, 12 months in bottle | Over 13 months in barrel, 12 months in bottle |
Sources of materials used for comparison are listed in the text and exercises.
Explain in your own words
Please arrange the following in order: harvest, fermentation, malolactic fermentation in barrel, aging in separate lots, blending, and bottle aging, and explain at which point the blending takes place.
Check after writing
- Were harvests separated for each grape variety?
- Did it indicate the position of the blend?
- Did you distinguish between the time spent in barrel and in bottle?
Save response to explanation task
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