Vintage: 2019
Producer: Marchesi Antinori
The Antinori family has been making wine for over six hundred years since Giovanni di Piero Antinori became part of the Arte Fiorentina dei Vinattieri in 1385. Throughout its long history, spanning 26 generations, the family has always personally managed the business making innovative, sometimes courageous choices, always with unwavering respect for tradition and the land. Today Marchese Piero Antinori is director of the company, assisted by his three daughters, Albiera, Allegra and Alessia, who are personally involved in the business. The qualities of tradition, passion, and instinct have made Antinori one of the leading Italian producers of fine quality wines. Every vintage, every terroir, every idea is a new beginning, a new quest to raise our quality margins. As Marchese Piero loves to repeat: “ancient roots play an important role in our philosophy, but they have never held back our spirit of innovation”. As well as the family’s traditional heritage of estates in Tuscany and Umbria, investments have been made over time in other areas highly suited to quality wine production, in Italy and abroad, in a quest to promote new terroirs, rich in winegrowing potential.
Aleatico, a very old grape variety and also the name of a traditional Tuscan sweet dessert wine, develops a unique varietal expression in this area that stands out for its strong identity and a soft, balanced palate. Part of the harvest is vinified immediately while the other part is left to air dry to concentrate aromas. The result is a pleasant expression of freshness and structure while preserving the richness of the variety’s typical floral and spicy aromas.
Vintage: The 2019 vintage was dominated by hot climatic conditions. The growing season began with mild, dry winter weather with temperatures that rarely dropped below zero. Pruning of Aleatico vines was completed by mid- February.
Spring brought warmer temperatures accompanied by sporadic but intense rain showers that recharged groundwater reserves. These climatic conditions prompted optimal bud break and flowering. The summer season was hot and dry marked by higher than average temperatures in July and August. Thanks to favorable weather, Aleatico grapes intended for the production of this wine were left on the vines for extended hang time and were harvested slight overripe to improve concentration levels and aromatic intensity. Harvesting began mid-October.
During harvesting operations, the grapes were divided into two parts: one part was immediately fermented while the other was left to desiccate in well ventilated drying rooms for approximately one month in order to increase aromatic concentration levels and enhance structure. Both lots underwent the same fermentation process. After a gentle pressing, the must was transferred into stainless steel tanks where maceration on the skins lasted for approximately one week to extract aromatic compounds and its characteristic color. Fermentation was conducted at a controlled temperature that did not exceed 20 °C (68 °F) and was halted by rapidly lowering the temperature once optimal sugar concentration levels were reached. The wine was aged at a controlled low temperature until bottling.
Tasting Notes: Aleatico is a brilliant wine that is ruby red in color. On the nose it is intense yet delicate: notes of wild roses blend with hints of ripe red fruit. The palate is remarkable for its unique balance between sweetness and freshness with an aftertaste marked by the grape variety’s distinctive flavor of roses.
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Grape Variety: 100% Aleatico
Alcohol percentage: 11.5%
Size: 500ml
Style: Red
SKU: TCCB7671
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