I don’t often post TNs directly here anymore, but this past week I had three really exceptional Italian wines- one a great vintage of a longtime favorite and two I had never seen before- and so wanted to share; especially to call attention to the two more obscure wines which are really worth seeking out and hopefully get some impressions to compare to my own.
2020 Antinori Tignanello
Served 8 hours after opening, tasting and resealing the bottle.
deep young red purple color, the nose roars from the glass and is quite noticeable even with the glass 2 feet away, big ripe cherries coated with savory spice notes, stern cassis, black plums and even a blackberry note, beautifully ripe but remains classically styled, on the palate the Cabernet is dominating at present with waves and ribbons of deepest red and black fruits, clove and dark chocolate, very primary, velvety and even sexy, this is very much in the vein of the 2018 but toned down a bit- though no less potent, the fruit array on the nose is repeated on a full-bodied palate of exceptional depth, velvety delivery with a marvelous array of savory dried leaf and dark spice notes peeping out from every corner- awaiting their moment of full glory in the years to come, one of Tignanello’s greatest attributes is how it manages to show well at any age- but the 2020 feels a bit more generous now than usual, under all that ripe primary fruit is plenty of tannin and acid to ensure a long life- but well buried for the moment, a worthy successor to the excellent 2018 and 2019 vintages with a long and bright future ahead, fine to enjoy one now but if you want to wait for prime time I would have a look in 2032 or thereabouts.
** (***), 2030++
2021 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Derthona
bright lemon color, on opening quince and pear on the nose with a lemongrass note, on the palate earth and a bit of petrol, white blossoms and apple core, even a light punch note, 5 hours later- peach note, beautifully rounded with a broad palate impact, a hint of pepper on the tail end with crisp acids to counter the rounded fruit, expressive earth notes throughout gaining some intensity on the long finish, this really got to me- a wonderful and unique wine, approachable now but everything is here for this to age nicely for 5-10 years I think.
** (**), now to 2030+
2021 Teularju Barbagia Mamojà Ghirada Ocruarana
served 8 hours after opening, tasting and resealing bottle.
bright purple-red color, attractive nose of pomegranate, clove and sweet earth, on the palate an almost juicy feel to the fruit with a good solid structure to balance it out, some youthful tannins, black cherry, jammy blackberries and pomegranate, a bit of savory dried leaves and the barest hint of white pepper add verve to the joyous fruit, there is a wonderful purity here- and this really screams out for food, fine length where a light floral note comes along followed by a chalk and punchy red fruit finish that lingers admirably, this is already a great joy to drink but certainly there is plenty here to see how it fares with bottle age, my instincts suggest this will be best consumed within a decade from now- but let’s see what time brings.
*** (*), now to 2030+
