Impressive flavor and aroma with hints of black cherries, wild roses, lavender, saffron, and delicate notes of milk chocolate and cocoa. Lively and elegant on the palate with a long, flavorful finish.
Badia a Passignano Gran Selezione is produced exclusively from the finest Sangiovese grapes sourced from the estate of the same name in the heart of Chianti Classico. The region has been known for its wine production since the last millennium! The vineyards are planted on limestone-rich soils with an average clay content at 300 meters above sea level. Production takes place in the historic cellars of Badia di Passignano dating back to the 10th century.
The 2020 vintage in Chianti Classico began with a mild and dry winter, with a brief cold snap only in late March. These climatic conditions favored early bud break in the vines. A relatively rainy and fairly cool spring was followed by a warm summer with some rainfall, allowing the clusters to grow and ripen optimally. September, when the harvest began, was characterized by light rains that aided the grapes’ maturation. Harvest started in the final ten days of September and concluded in the first days of October.
After destemming, the grapes were carefully selected and then gently pressed. Alcoholic fermentation lasted ten days, after which the must underwent maceration on the grape skins for an additional 10–12 days. Following racking and the completion of malolactic fermentation, the wine began its aging period in Hungarian and French oak barrels for several months. During this phase, the wine was tasted regularly to maximize development in the barrels. Badia a Passignano was bottled at the estate and then further aged in bottle before being released to the market.
About Antinori
Italian Marchesi Antinori represents 26 generations of winemaking history at an absolute world-class level. Six hundred thirty years is almost unimaginable when it comes to a single family of wine producers. Antinori can trace its history all the way back to 1385, when Giovanni di Piero Antinori was admitted to the “Arte Fiorentina dei Vinattieri,” the order of winemakers in Florence. Today, Marchesi Antinori is a member of Primum Familiae Vini—a union of twelve of the most prestigious, family-owned wineries in the world. It does not get much larger than this.
As far back as Renaissance Florence, Marchesi Antinori was an extremely successful estate, and Alessandro Antinori was one of the wealthiest citizens of the city—then the center for the great thinkers and artists of the time such as Leonardo da Vinci, and for writers like Dante Alighieri, who authored the Divine Comedy. Today, Marchesi Antinori remains a family-owned business where values such as meticulous care, attention to even the smallest details, and the desire to continuously improve are ingrained. Over 26 generations, the family has shaped Italian winemaking with innovative and sometimes bold decisions, yet always with a fundamental respect for tradition. In 1974, Marchesi Antinori released its first Tignanello, one of the earliest so-called “Super Tuscans.” The wine shook the Italian wine world and redefined what was possible in boot-shaped Italy. Crafted from a blend of Sangiovese and the then “forbidden” foreign varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Piero Antinori was a leading pioneer in a new wave of Super Tuscans, daring to create without regard for old rules and norms. Tignanello is today regarded as one of the most significant wines in the entire history of Italian wine.
Antinori already has many more chapters in its story than most wineries. But the final chapter is far from written. You become convinced of that as you drive up to the magnificent winery. Everything is tastefully executed, from the displayed works by Leonardo da Vinci and Giovanni Della Robbia to the way light enters in front of the elevator that leads up to the small restaurant overlooking the vineyards. Although the old roots play a major role in the family’s daily work and in the vision for the estate and each individual wine, it has never hindered Antinori’s ever-innovative spirit—as the example of Tignanello clearly shows. They research new local and international grape varieties and experiment with alternative cultivation methods, vineyards at varying elevations, fermentation techniques, different barrels for aging, and more. Today, Albiera Antinori serves as Managing Director of Marchesi Antinori, supported by her sisters Allegra and Alessia. Their father, Marchese Piero Antinori, is Honorary President of the family business.
