1. Villa Antinori Toscana Red 2007
ROSSO 2007
Vintage
• A mild winter and spring caused the vine’s vegetative phases to take place earlier than normal.
• After a hot early summer, August was mild and cool, and vine development returned to normal.
• September and October were characterized by hot sunny days and cool nights, contributing to the superior quality of the grapes.
• Harvesting began in the first weeks of September with Merlot, followed by Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, and ended at the beginning of October with Sangiovese.
• The wines of this vintage show intense color and varietal-specific aromas with beautiful structure.
Vineyard History
• Villa Antinori was first introduced in 1928 by Niccolò Antinori, Piero Antinori’s father, as the first Chianti specifically produced to improve with age.
• With the 2001 vintage, Villa Antinori became an IGT Toscana wine, enabling Antinori to have complete control of the winemaking process from vineyard to bottle. All the grapes in Villa Antinori Rosso come exclusively from Antinori’s top estate-owned vineyards.
• Each varietal in the blend is grown in the terroir best suited to it: sangiovese in Chianti Classico and Montalcino, cabernet sauvignon and merlot in Bolgheri, and syrah in Cortona.
Vinification
• Destemming and soft crushing maceration took place in stainless steel tanks and lasted 8-12 days, varying by grape variety and ripeness.
• The wine completed fermentation at differing temperatures depending on the varietal and vineyard.
• By the end of the year, the wine had completed its malolactic fermentation.
A portion was transferred to French, American and Hungarian oak barriques for 12 months.
• The wine was aged in the bottle for at least eight months before release.
Tasting Notes
• Intense ruby red in color. This well structured wine presents aromas of ripe fruit, plum jam, mint, chocolate, and tobacco. The wine is full-bodied on the palate with soft, velvety tannins and a long and lingering red fruit finish.
