Ratings & Tasting Notes:
91 points CellarTracker (Community Consensus) A remarkably vibrant, classic Chianti Classico Riserva that continues to hold up with impressive structural balance for a vintage that faced late-season harvest rains. The bouquet opens with complex, tertiary aromas of wild brambleberry, dried dark cherries, damp forest floor, and cigar wrapper. On the palate, it is smooth, refined, and medium-bodied, showing “smooth, still some sweet fruit, tannin support well-integrated, and a finish medium-long, not drying.” CellarTracker, October 2017
88 points Wine Spectator Firm and traditional in build, showing a rustic, food-friendly frame typical of central Italy’s mid-90s releases. The palate exhibits a core of dried cranberry, leather, iron ore, and dried thyme, supported by a distinct line of lively maritime acidity and firm, drying tannins that lead into a savory, mineral-flecked finish. James Suckling, October 1997
Cult Wines International Notes:
Marchese Antinori Riserva holds a uniquely prestigious position within the vast portfolio of Marchesi Antinori, representing a historic line of elite Chianti Classico that serves as a direct window into the world-renowned soils of the Tignanello estate. Situated in the heart of Chianti Classico between the Greve and Pesa valleys, the Tignanello vineyard sits on sun-drenched, high-altitude slopes rich in limestone, marl, and alberese rock. Crafted exclusively from this prized property, Marchese Antinori Riserva is essentially the direct estate relative of Super Tuscan royalty Tignanello and Solaia. The 1994 release showcases a masterfully traditional Tuscan composition, heavily anchored by 90% Sangiovese alongside 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, combining indigenous Chianti character with a subtle touch of Left Bank structure.
The 1994 growing season across central Tuscany was a high-stakes, dramatic roller coaster that required meticulous work in the vineyards and cellar. Following an unseasonably warm spring that triggered an exceptionally early budbreak, the region endured a scorching, bone-dry summer that pushed grapes toward accelerated sugar ripeness. However, the bid for an easy harvest was interrupted in September by persistent rain showers. Thanks to the rocky, well-draining hillside soils of the Tignanello estate, excess moisture was quickly shed, allowing Antinori’s vineyard team to manually harvest healthy, small berries with good phenolic maturity. The grapes underwent temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel before being racked into French and Hungarian oak barriques for approximately 14 months of maturation, followed by extensive bottle aging in the estate’s historical cellars.
At over three decades of bottle age, the 1994 Tenuta Tignanello ‘Marchese Antinori’ Riserva has evolved into a deeply savory, fully mature library artifact. The youthful, fruit-forward primary flavors have gracefully receded, giving way to an authentic, tertiary profile of leather, dried plums, cedarwood, crushed oregano, and cold pipe tobacco. Supported by resolved, fine-grained tannins and a vibrant undercurrent of classic Tuscan acidity, this fully evolved bottle offers a wonderfully complex, traditional drinking experience for collectors who appreciate mature, food-motivated Chianti Classico from one of Italy’s greatest winemaking dynasties.
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Outstanding condition.
Please note: The condition of the bottle you will receive is accurately reflected by the one shown in the images.
