Tignanello, Antinori, Tuscany

Tignanello created a category. When Antinori blended Sangiovese with Cabernet and aged it in small French barriques in 1971, it broke every Chianti Classico rule of the day - and made the wine that every Super Tuscan since has followed. It is still made only from the single hillside vineyard it is named after, in the heart of Chianti Classico. The fruit comes off limestone and schist soils at 350-400 metres, each grape variety picked and vinified separately in truncated conical tanks to keep the aromatics intact. The wine then spends time in predominantly new French oak, with a little Hungarian, before the final blend is assembled and rested - a long, patient maturation that builds structure without ever burying the Sangiovese. In the glass it leads with bright red and black cherry, violet and crushed herbs, turning to graphite, tobacco and a little sweet spice from the oak. Sangiovese keeps it lifted and savoury rather than heavy; the Cabernet fills in the mid-palate and firms up fine, polished tannins. Serve at 16-18°C.