The Tignanello 2019 of the Marchesi Antinori at No. 5 of the “Top 100” by “Wine Spectator”

There is another glory for Italy of wine in the “Top 100” by “Wine Spectator”, which brings to position No. 5 one of its most iconic labels: Tignanello 2019, the super Tuscan of Marchesi Antinori, born as an unconventional wine, a precursor of its time (the first vintage was 1971, ed), capable of representing a turning point by contributing to that extraordinary movement now known as the “Renaissance” of Italian wine.
Born from an idea of Niccolò and Piero Antinori, with the contribution of the winemaker at the time Giacomo Tachis, Tignanello is the result of some happy intuitions gained after careful research in the vineyard and trips to the main wine-growing lands of the world. After which they clearly recognized the great potential of a specific vineyard: “76,682 vines of ancient Chianti vineyard, called Tignanello”. Thus was recited the text by Luigi Veronelli on the label of the first historic vintage, designed in 1974 by Silvio Coppola, a famous graphic designer, and designer of his time. Tignanello, today, is one of the most famous and sought-after Italian labels by collectors from all over the world, among the top 100 brands according to the Liv-Ex fine wine index: an Italian milestone and flagship of the Marchesi Antinori, conducted today by the managing director and enologist Renzo Cotarella, already at No. 8 of the “Top 100” by “Wine Spectator” in 2016 (with 2013).
At the position No. 6, on the other hand, there is another symbol of US viticulture: Robert Mondavi’s Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville The Estates 2019, which returns to the top ten 11 years after the last time, in 2011, with one of its most promising productions. We are thus approaching, with great strides, the top: tomorrow, in an instant, there will be revealed three positions: No. 4, No. 3, and No. 2, then leaving the “stage”, on Friday 11 November, to what will be the “Wine of the Year”, an honor that happened just four times to Italy of wine, with the Sassicaia 2015 of Tenuta San Guido in 2018, with the Brunello di Montalcino 2001 Tenuta Nuova di Casanova di Neri in 2006, with the 1998 Ornellaia of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia in 2001 and with the 1997 Solaia of Antinori in 2000 (here all the Italians present in the “Top 100” 2021).
Yesterday it was the turn of another Italian brand, the 2019 Saffredi of Fattoria Le Pupille, at No. 8, with which Maremma placed for the first time one of its wines among the first of the “Top 100” by “Wine Spectator” (we talked about it here), but also of Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019 by Château de Beaucastel, at No. 7. Wines that were added to Louis Roederer’s Cristal 2014, one of the most iconic Champagnes, at the position No. 10, and Quilceda Creek 2018, Columbia Valley (Washington State) Cabernet, at position No. 9.
On the other hand, the entire ranking will be announced on Monday 14 November, to symbolically close a week that, since 1988, has accompanied the world of wine and the hopes of producers to enter what is one of the most prestigious “Top 100” and, therefore, more coveted. A year ago, in the very small circle of the top 10 wines in the world according to Wine Spectator - which saw the Napa Valley’s Dominus Estate 2018 at the top - there were two Italian labels - Brunello di Montalcino 2016 “Le Chiuse”, at No. 5, and the Barolo Bricco Boschis 2016 Cavallotto, at No. 8.