Tignanello - Marchesi Antinori Toscana 1998

Tignanello 1998 - The super-Tuscan is incredibly ripe and yet of astonishing freshness

1. Wine description and origin

The Marchese Antinori Tignanello 1998 is a pure red wine from Tuscany, more precisely the IGT Toscana, and is one of the most famous representatives of the Super Tuscan movement. The vineyard from which the grapes come exclusively is situated at an altitude of around 350-400 metres with a south-westerly exposure on calcareous and stony soils made up of Alberese and Galestro rock. The 1998 vintage itself was extremely good in Tuscany, although not at the first-class level of the legendary 1997. Mild conditions in spring, followed by a hot summer, allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and fully.

The winery itself looks back on over 600 years of tradition. The Antinori family, now in its 26th generation, is deeply rooted in Italian winemaking history and is known for its innovative, sometimes unconventional style.

The cuvée composition of the 1998 is as follows:

The data comes from the manufacturer's specifications at the retailer.

The wine was matured for 14 months in small French barriques, which gives the wine a distinctive flavour profile and a firm, ripe tannin structure.

2. Sensory impressions

The appearance of the wine is a medium ruby-garnet colour with violet reflections and a clear brightening of the rim - a sure sign of the advanced age of the bottle.

Nose (Olfactio)

The aromas are impressively rich and elegant. This is how the Austrian trade magazine Falstaffdescribes the wine's fine nose with notes of nougat, dried fruit and ripe, very natural fruit. The Italian wine platform DoctorWine, on the other hand, emphasises a light vegetal note, underpinned by ripe red fruit, balsamic and spicy nuances. Overall, a very complex, almost sweet-smelling bouquet.

Palate (Gustatio)

On the palate, the Tignanello 1998 is surprisingly elegant and charming. Falstaff noted a relatively high acidity and somewhat rustic, dry-looking tannins.Robert Parker, on the other hand, rated the wine as medium to full-bodied with good structure and a classic orientation.Vivino users, on the other hand, were enthusiastic about the supple, velvety tannins. The wine was soft, but not fat, but rather balanced with a pleasant acidity and a great texture.

Finish (Perceptio)

The finish of the wine is of good length and pleasant complexity. DoctorWine describes the finish as having a slight liquorice note, which makes the wine particularly inviting and round.Falstaff adds flavours of citrus fruits and sour cherry.

3. Reviews and ratings

The Tignanello 1998 has received consistently high international reviews, especially from the most renowned wine experts.

Well-known reviews at a glance:

The assessment by Robert Parkeris one of the oldest, dated October 2001, and describes the wine as classic: the bouquet is reminiscent of berry fruits, new saddle leather, undergrowth, earth and toast flavours from the barrique maturation.James Suckling, who assessed the wine a quarter of a century later, awarded it an even higher score of 98 points. He described the density and structure as impressive: notes of blackberry, blueberry and blackcurrant, with vertical tannins that appear deep and dark, as well as undertones of bark and black earth. The Falstaff tasting of 2012, on the other hand, was more critical, which could possibly be due to a slightly later tasting after the peak of ripeness.

4. Storage and drinking recommendation

The Tignanello 1998 is now (2026) a fully mature wine and should be at the peak of its enjoyment maturity. Recent reports from 2023 confirm that the wine still offers wonderful depth and complexity. Most sales platforms therefore recommend either opening the wine as soon as it arrives or not storing it for too long. The average drinking window is given by sources as 2005-2039.

And here's how to enjoy it properly:

• Decant: The wine should be aerated or decanted about one to two hoursbefore drinking. This is recommended for both young and older red wines with a pronounced character in order to allow the flavours to fully develop.

• Serving temperature: Ideally, enjoy the wine at 16-18 °C.

• Food pairing: This wine is an excellent accompaniment to strong meat dishes, especially poultry, veal, lamb, beef and braised dishes. A beef short rib ragu, as described in a CellarTracker report, was also an excellent combination.

To summarise, the Tignanello 1998 is a complex, extremely elegant wine that has developed magnificently over the years. With an almost ideal balance between ripe fruit, mature tannins and a pleasant acidity, it offers a smooth, almost "liquid" drinking experience - a real highlight for connoisseurs and collectors alike.