and more:
• Bolgheri's Gene: Guado al Tasso
• Montalcino Magic: Pian delle Vigne
• The Quality Wines of Antinori

Legend: Piero Antinori

Where Sassicaia opened the door for Italian wine, Marchese Piero Antinori, with the guidance of Giacomo Tachis, kicked it down with the introduction of Tignanello in 1971, Solaia in 1978, and Guado al Tasso in 1990. The great Sangiovese winemaker believed it was wrong to imitate a Bordeaux wine; Italy can make great wines with the noble varieties that have their own special character. That is the soul of Antinori's wines.

While it is fair to say that the past 25 years best represent the efforts of the Marchese and Antinori estate, especially in the area of Super Tuscans, it should be noted that the family legacy dates back to 1385 when his ancestors joined the Florentine Guild of Vintners. This tradition is the foundation of Piero's success and is applied in all his efforts. Twenty-six generations later these dynamic and visionary producers of fine wines have acquired and developed estates concentrated in Toscana’s finest and most progressive viticultural areas of Montalcino (Pian delle Vigne), Chianti Classico (Tignanello, Badia a Passignano, Peppoli), and Montepulciano (La Braccesca) and have expanded outside this region to Umbria (Castello della Sala), Piemonte (Prunotto), Puglia (Tormaresca), Hungary (Bataapati), Chile (Albis and Albaclara), Washington (Col Solare) and California (Atlas Peak) among many others.

Today, IWM is proud to offer the Super Tuscan portfolio of Antinori wines as well as his recent Brunello efforts from 1997 and 1998 vintages. This is an exceptional offer as it not only presents recent releases but includes rarities like the heralded 1990 Tignanello and Solaia. Read on below to learn about each of these historic wines. If you would like to make a purchase or have further questions regarding the wines of Antinori, please contact our Portfolio Managers at 212.473.2323.

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Antinori's Flagship: Solaia

It competes as Italy’s most prestigious blend and is the flagship wine of her most celebrated producer. The golden child of Piero Antinori and esteemed enologist Giacomo Tachis, whose magic touch has graced Italy’s most elite Super Tuscans (Sassicaia, Tignanello, Sammarco, Argiano among others), the wine started in 1978 as a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and grew in 1982 to include Sangiovese. The grapes used to make this “sunny one” are grown exclusively in the vineyard of the same name, a highly desirable 10 hectare patch of land on the Tignanello estate, which is also home to the eponymous wine.

The 1978 debut was limited to its homeland, but once this life-changing wine ventured out internationally, it entranced wine enthusiasts worldwide. Still produced only in good vintages, Solaia was crowned the Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator back in 2000 (for the 1997 vintage) and has collected the prestigious Tre Bicchieri award from the Gambero Rosso for eleven separate vintages. Consistency in quality!

The individual varieties – 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, and 5% Cabernet Franc – exhibit their unique qualities yet meld seamlessly here, allowing the character of the terroir to shine through. A fruit-forward wine with impressive structure and balance, Solaia is supported by velvety tannins and stretches into a long finish.

Antinori 2001 Solaia ..... $164.91 (750 ml)
Antinori 2000 Solaia ..... $789.00 (3 L)
Antinori 1994 Solaia ..... $195.00 (750 ml)
Antinori 1990 Solaia ..... $375.00 (750 ml)*
Antinori 1988 Solaia ..... $269.00 (750 ml)
Antinori 1988 Solaia ..... $560.00 (1.5 L)
Antinori 1986 Solaia ..... $269.00 (750 ml)
Antinori 1985 Solaia ..... $415.00 (750 ml)*
Antinori 1982 Solaia ..... $329.00 (750 ml)

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Super Tuscan Pioneer: Tignanello

This is the wine that rocked the world! Tenuta San Guido’s Sassicaia may have ignited the revolution, but Antinori’s Tignanello set its course. Piero's goal was not to recreate a Bordeaux style claret, but to show the versatility and finesse that the noble Sangiovese can deliver; the result was the second official Super Tuscan, which featured this native varietal in the Cabernet-aided blend. The first Sangiovese to be aged in small oak barrels and the first modern red wine to include a non-traditional varietal, Tignanello was also among the first wines in Chianti to be made without any white grapes.

Influenced by the lead of Piero's uncle (the great Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta) and guided by Giacomo Tachis, Tignanello made its grand entrance to the international stage in 1971 and has only improved since. A blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc, this Super Tuscan is made only in good vintages from the main vineyard of the Tignanello estate. The harvest here is particularly late, and the grapes are processed very gently to avoid damage. French oak is used for malolactic fermentation and for a 14-month aging period, followed by another full year of aging in the bottle before release.

Full and fruit-forward, Tignanello is a very complex wine. With great structure, rich mouthfeel, and a long finish, it certainly merited the Tre Bicchieri awards it has won for five different vintages.

Antinori 2001 Tignanello ..... $78.50 (750 ml)
Antinori 2000 Tignanello ..... $65.00 (750 ml)
Antinori 1990 Tignanello ..... $210.00 (750 ml)
Antinori 1990 Tignanello ..... $394.00 (1.5 L)
Antinori 1990 Tignanello ..... $749.95 (3 L)
Antinori 1988 Tignanello ..... $169.00 (750 ml)
Antinori 1988 Tignanello ..... $299.95 (1.5 L)
Antinori 1986 Tignanello ..... $148.00 (750 ml)
Antinori 1985 Tignanello ..... $219.00 (750 ml)
Antinori 1985 Tignanello ..... $449.00 (1.5 L)
Antinori 1982 Tignanello ..... $195.00 (750 ml)

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Bolgheri's Gene: Guado al Tasso

As with Angelo Gaja’s Ca’ Marcanda effort in the mid-nineties, it was only a matter of time before this legendary producer found a home for a red blend on the pioneering soil of Bolgheri. He is in good company here with both his uncle’s legendary Tenuta San Guido estate and his brother’s Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, which is still pouring out the most sought-after Merlot (Masseto) in all of Italy. Greatness clearly flows in this man’s blood, and the soils of Bolgheri are a natural breeding ground for Antinori success.

The Guado al Tasso estate, or “Badger’s Ford” - a common sight in the region as the name refers to - is located in the Bolgheri zone, where the estate was once known as Tenuta Belvedere. The family estate goes back to the Antinoris of the early thirties, but it wasn’t until the 1990 debut release of Guado al Tasso that it became a center of activity. This blend is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and rounded out by 30% Merlot and now 10% Syrah, resulting in a rich color and a delightful balance of structure and softness on the palate.

A ruby glints in the glass. Dark cherries with deep undertones of charred coffee and dark chocolate. Velvety tannins support eloquent structure and complexity, leading into a long finish. Well worthy of its Tre Bicchieri awards for the 2000 and 2001 as well as the high ratings from Robert Parker for all the vintages listed below, notably the 1999 release.

Antinori 2001 Guado al Tasso ..... $84.50 (750 ml)
Antinori 1999 Guado al Tasso ..... $92.00 (750 ml)*
Antinori 1999 Guado al Tasso ..... $549.00 (3 L)*
Antinori 1998 Guado al Tasso ..... $549.00 (3 L)
Antinori 1997 Guado al Tasso ..... $105.30 (750 ml)

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Montalcino Magic: Pian delle Vigne

Antinori’s Brunello Pian delle Vigne is named for its vineyard of provenance, which is named in turn for a nineteenth-century railroad station that lies within the estate and is still in use today. This prime location is planted with Sangiovese vines along with olive trees, and a picturesque forest completes the panorama. Seated above the Val d’Orcia in the southern part of the Montalcino zone, this vineyard was sold to Antinori in 1995, and he began producing wine from it that same year.

This Brunello spends three years in oak casks of various sizes and an additional four months minimum in bottle before release. Though the Pian delle Vigne has only been on the market since 2000, Antinori has achieved high scores from Robert Parker with this outstanding wine. More importantly, IWM has secured a limited allocation of the highly acclaimed 1997 vintage, which is a gem in any cellar.

Garnet highlights on a deep ruby core. A lucid nose of dark berries and bitter chocolate with floral overtones and a touch of vanilla demonstrates the character of Sangiovese. Pepper delights the palate as more black fruit fills the mouth, and the oak aging shines through. A full body and great structure are rounded out by silky tannins and carry into a long, smooth finish. An elegant wine that will develop beautifully in the cellar.

Antinori 1998 Pian delle Vigne ..... $69.00 (750 ml)
Antinori 1997 Pian delle Vigne ..... $98.00 (750 ml)
Antinori 1997 Pian delle Vigne ..... $198.00 (1.5 L)

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The Quality Wines of Antinori

Try some of Italy's greatest and most innovative wines with an Antinori six pack (2 of each) or case sampler (4 of each). See how this producer designs distinctively Italian wines from the noble grapes that have become so famous around the world.

Antinori 2001 Solaia
Antinori 2001 Tignanello
Antinori 2001 Guado al Tasso

IWM Antinori Six Pack Sampler (6) ..... $655.82*
IWM Antinori Case Sampler (12) ..... $1,311.64*
*Free delivery to NYC residents

Tignanello may have spurred the Super Tuscan movement, but its home remains to be Bolgheri. Try six producers that consistently make the best blends of Italy in this Legendary Bolgheri six pack (1 of each) or case sampler (2 of each).

Ca' Marcanda 2001 Magari
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 1999 Ornellaia
Le Macchiole 1999 Paleo Rosso
Antinori 2001 Guado al Tasso
Tenuta San Guido 2001 Sassicaia
Tenuta San Guido 2001 Guidalberto

IWM Antinori Six Pack Sampler (6) ..... $597.95*
IWM Antinori Case Sampler (12): ..... $1,171.51*
*Free delivery to NYC residents

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