Antinori: tasting “5 decades” of Tignanello, and an installation in Palazzo Antinori

Fifty years ago, the historic Antinori family presented Tignanello 1971, the first vintage of a wine ahead of its time. It is a milestone in oenology, and an innovation that has become tradition. Tignanello contributed to starting the “Renaissance” of Italian wine. Tignanello broke away from the mold to become a leader and a reference point, starting the now famous “Super Tuscans” movement as well as Italian fine wines. To commemorate its history, Marchesi Antinori kicked off the celebrations in style, offering a tasting of five vintages representing five decades, at Tenuta Tignanello, and an excursion to the places where it originated, in the heart of Chianti Classico, where its famous hill is located. And, an impressive site-specific installation of experiential art by Felice Limosani, “Ars Una”, which, for the first time in its history, has been placed in Palazzo Antinori in Florence. The celebrations of such an important anniversary are further enhanced by Antinori’s contribution to the first conservative restoration of Ponte Vecchio, symbol of the “cradle” of the Renaissance and of Italy. The centuries-old tradition of patronage, from the fourteenth century to today, has linked the family, for 26 generations, to the greatest Italian artists, hand in hand with the production of great wines (since Giovanni di Piero Antinori became part of the Florentine Art of Vinattieri, in 1385). It is also linked to the “gift”of the Tuscan landscape and another one of its symbols: a new hill, at Tenuta Tignanello.
“Fifty years have gone by and Tignanello never ceases to surprise me, vintage after vintage”, Marchese Piero Antinori, its creator, emphasized to WineNews, and together with Albiera Antinori, president of Marchesi Antinori, assisted by her two sisters Allegra and Alessia Antinori , and the oenologist Renzo Cotarella, told his fondest memories linked to this wine, created by the oenologist Giacomo Tachis, with the “blessing” of the Master of Italian food and wine journalism, Luigi Veronelli. “It is a wine to which my family and I are deeply connected, and it represents a never-ending challenge for us. It is the obsession to improve ourselves, to always question ourselves, to find continually higher quality margins. Just a few months ago, we replanted the last part of the vineyard on the Tignanello hill, and by chance it was exactly this anniversary. For over six centuries, our family has been deeply connected to the city of Florence, the wine and art world. The 50 year anniversary of Tignanello has given us the opportunity to unite and pay homage to these three elements that are particularly close to our hearts, in the name of the Renaissance, both viticultural and artistic”.
The first vintage of Tignanello was 1971 - released on the market in 1974, ed. 76.682 vines of an ancient Chianti vineyard, called Tignanello, located 390 meters above sea level, on hilly terrain, rich in alberese and marl, on the Estate in the heart of Chianti Classico, and which, like the vineyard, has the same name. Today, on 57 hectares facing south-west. The wine was conceived as the first Sangiovese to be aged in barrique, the first modern red wine blended with non-traditional varieties (such as Cabernet), and one of the first red wines in Chianti Classico not to use white grapes, and instead produced with a selection of Sangiovese and Cabernet - Bordeaux, with an unmistakable touch of Italian style. Tignanello is also one of the first wines to carry the name of its vineyard on the label. Outside the rules, revolutionary, Tignanello further paved the way to positioning Italian wines, in terms of value and the cravings of collectors, on world markets. It is a milestone, a wine that fully represents the spirit of the Antinori family motto, “Te Duce Proficio”, which means, “Under your guidance I shall proceed”.
To further celebrate Tignanello’s fiftieth anniversary, Marchesi Antinori, the most highly acclaimed Italian wine brand in the world, is contributing to the Municipality of Florence for the conservative restoration of Ponte Vecchio, the first of this type carried out on the monumental bridge. In the meantime, Palazzo Antinori, the historic family residence, is displaying, for the first time in its centuries-old history, a digital artwork by Felice Limosani, giving the city an exciting and meditative experience. Antinori commissioned the artist, who has reinterpreted the traditional techniques of landscape and floral painting, using artificial intelligence and generative software, creating surreal figurative and abstract settings to enhance the majesty of nature. The art work is visible on the facade and in the courtyard of the Palace, as it transforms the atmosphere of Chianti Classico into dreamlike landscapes and enchanted gardens. The soundtrack, composed of the natural sounds of birds, cicadas and crickets, evokes a unique and immersive sensorial dimension. “Ars Una”, the name of the installation (visible May 31st to June 9th, from 9.00 pm to 12.00 am), literally means “a single art” or “a unique art”; that is, interconnecting all forms of knowledge and skill, emphasizing unity, balance and excellence. In the Greco-Roman vision, art signified “doing things well”, an ideal that transcends the simple technical execution, to embrace a philosophy of quality, dedication and continuous improvement. Limosani has created a sensorial journey, reflecting on the need to combine the beauty and priorities of nature and humanity to artificial intelligence, acknowledging that each part contributes to a sustainable whole for the future. The interaction among these entities goes beyond the uniqueness they represent, so that together they create universal “augmented intelligence”.