Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2020

Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2020

 

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Antinori
Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2020
  • Vintage : 2020
  • Country : Italy
  • Region : Tuscany (Chianti Classico)
  • Subregion :
  • Type : Red
  • Style : Rich and Spicy
  • Format : 75cl
  • Alcohol : 13,5°
  • Grappes : 100% Sangiovese

Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is a majestic expression of 100% Sangiovese, crafted from a historic vineyard at the heart of the Chianti Classico region. This wine celebrates centuries of winemaking tradition with elegance and depth.

Experts Score Vintage
JS James Suckling 94 2020
JD Jeb Dunnuck 94 2020
WS Wine Spectator 94 2020
DCT Decanter 95 2019
RP Robert Parker 94 2019
W&S Wines & Spirits 93 2019
VN Vinous (Antonio Galloni) 92 2019
More information on wine critics and ratings

Region and Vineyards

The Badia a Passignano estate, located in the heart of the Chianti Classico DOCG, is renowned for producing some of the region's finest wines. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of approximately 300 meters (984 feet), benefitting from soils rich in limestone and clay, which contribute to the wine’s structure and aromatic complexity.

The 2020 growing season was characterized by a mild, dry winter, an early bud break, and a spring with average rainfall and cooler temperatures. Summer was warm but not excessively hot, with scattered rain showers that provided the ideal moisture for healthy growth and ripening. Light precipitation in September, during the harvest period, allowed the grapes to achieve optimal phenolic maturity. The harvest began in late September and concluded in early October, yielding grapes of exceptional quality.

Winemaking

After destemming, the grapes underwent careful selection and gentle crushing. Alcoholic fermentation lasted 10 days, followed by an additional 10-12 days of maceration on the skins to extract maximum color and flavor. Once racked, the wine completed malolactic fermentation and was aged in Hungarian oak barrels, with a small percentage aged in French oak, for several months.

Regular tastings during the aging process ensured the oak integration was perfectly balanced, enhancing the wine’s complexity without overpowering its vibrant fruit character. The wine was bottled on-site and further aged in the bottle before its release, reflecting Antinori’s commitment to producing a Gran Selezione of unparalleled quality.

Tasting Notes

  • Color: Deep ruby red.
  • Aroma: Aromatic notes of black cherries, dog rose, and subtle hints of milk chocolate and cocoa, enriched by floral tones of lavender, irises, and a touch of saffron.
  • Palate: Lively and vibrant, with a lean structure and a defined, long, savory finish.

Did You Know?

The Badia a Passignano abbey dates back to the 10th century and has long been associated with viticulture and wine production. The cellars beneath the abbey, where this wine is aged, provide the perfect environment for crafting wines of extraordinary depth and elegance.

Wine Pairing Ideas

  • Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Florentine steak): The wine’s structure and savory finish complement the richness of the steak.
  • Wild boar ragù with pappardelle: The vibrant acidity balances the earthy and robust flavors of the dish.
  • Aged Pecorino Toscano: Its nutty, savory character harmonizes beautifully with the wine’s complexity.
  • Grilled portobello mushrooms with rosemary and olive oil: The earthy notes of the mushrooms are elevated by the wine’s aromatic bouquet.

History of Antinori

In 1385, the Antinori family became part of the wine business when Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Florentine Vintner's Guild.

Since 1966, Marchese Piero Antinori, son of Marchese Niccolò, has run the company with his daughters, Albiera, Allegra and Alessia, also playing an active role.

For more than 26 generations now, Antinori's philosophy has been based on the combination of both tradition and innovation: to preserve Italy's enological traditions and to experiment innovation in winemaking, giving each wine tester the pleasure of discovering a unique alliance.

Vineyards

Each of Antinori's vineyards and estates has its own individual character, its own history and its own universe perceived and discovered in the tasting of each of their fine wines.

Badia a Passignano

Antinori's vineyards for red wine are mostly located in Tuscany, in the area of Chianti Classico where it owns three estates, total 575 acres: Tignanello, Pèppoli and Badia a Passignano.

White wine is produced in Umbria in the Orvieto Classico region, at Castello della Sala estate, and in Tuscany at Monteloro estate.

Red wine comes from the Montepulciano, Bolgheri, Montalcino, Castiglione della Pescaia and Sovana areas.

Besides Tuscany and Umbria, Antinori is also present in Lombardy, Piedmont, Apulia, California, Washington State, Hungary and Malta where it produces both red and white wines.

The Tignanello and Solaia Estate - The uniqueness of a land and the history of a great wine

The Tignanello estate is a total of 319 hectares in size of which 127 hectares are planted with vines. In particular, two vineyards are real treasures:

  • Solaia: 20 hectares
  • Tignanello: 57 hectares

The area is very particular due to the high altitude being over 400 metres above sea level, the vineyards having a southwest exposure to the sun, the microclimate and the soil, which is marine loam based with a rich addition of alberese and galestro rock dating back to the Eocene and Miocene eras.

Viticulture

The growing season here is characterized by hot days and cool nights.

In the early 1970ies, the Tignanello estate was, to some extent, the viticultural research ground for Antinori. Investigations into vine growing concentrated on the improvement of the grapes to obtain a higher concentration and softer tannins. This was achieved through planting density, foliage control and selection of the Cabernet and Sangiovese.

In the oenological field, the goals were to achieve wines with a well-defined character.

This was accomplished by a rigorous selection of the grapes during harvest and when received at the winery, gentle crushing of the grapes with as little stress as possible, and by allowing malolactic fermentation to occur in barrel.

When the first production of Solaia began, more than thirty years ago, the grapes came from a plot of land that was within the larger Tignanello vineyard. The same particular characteristics as the original vineyard, such as the altitude, the soil type and the good exposure to the sun (hence the name Solaia), are also found in a nearby vineyard. This vineyard has been integrated into the original vineyard since 1997.

Currently, the Solaia vineyard is 20 hectares and planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (15 hectares), Cabernet Franc (1 hectare) and Sangiovese (4 hectares) with an average age of 15 years.

The density per hectare varies from a minimum of 5,500 to a maximum of 7,200 and the low-spurred cordon training system is used. Over the years, there has been a progressive renewal of the Solaia vineyard. This has been accomplished by utilizing the many years of knowledge and ever-increasing experience of the estate's land to highlight the personality of Solaia.

James Suckling (JS) : 94 Points (2020)
This is really velvety and open with a caressing texture that entices with every sip. Medium-bodied with gorgeous brightness and complexity. So hard not to drink now. So why wait, but will age beautifully.

Jeb Dunnuck (JD) : 94 Points (2020)
A saturated dark magenta-ruby color, the 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia A Passignano is well layered with aromas of fresh leather, black cherry liqueur, vanilla bean, black licorice, and forest floor. Full-bodied without weight, it is well-balanced and very elegant with ripe fruit lasting long on the palate with ripe tannins that are well integrated, fresh underpinnings and saline, with notes of black tea on the finish. It is a lovely ripe wine, with a hint of game, that will mature slowly over the next 15-20 years. It strikes a wonderful balance of polish and purity.

Wine Spectator (WS) : 94 Points (2020)
Laced with pure flavors of cherry and raspberry and shaded by a spicy oak element, this bright, balanced red is elegant yet reveals fine intensity. Light tannins line the lingering finish as iron and tobacco notes join in. Best from 2026 through 2042.

Decanter (DCT) : 95 Points (2019)
The vineyards of Badia a Passignano surround an ancient monastery which has belonged to Benedictine monks since the 11th century. It’s just 3km south of Antinori’s Tignanello estate, from which the Sangiovese cuttings hail. Youthful, graceful and unencumbered by masses of oak, this expresses pretty floral, red cherry and cedar. Smooth yet tactile, the tannins are sleek and yielding, and succulent acidity contributes to the levity and clarity of this mid-weight, elegant Gran Selezione. Glossy red berries are infused with sage on the palate. Everything is in place - almost too perfectly. (MM) (3/2022)

Robert Parker (RP) : 94 Points (2019)
Marchesi Antinori's 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano embraces a ripe fruit profile with sweet cherry and baked plum. Fruit at the Badia a Passignano estate matures very nicely, Marchesi Antinori General Manager Renzo Cotarella tells me. He describes the 2019 season as having abundant rain in the spring and then showing heat that lasted for a good part of the summer. This estate has a total of 56 hectares of vines, but this bottle is born from a selection from 20 hectares. The resulting annual production is 100,000 bottles. The wine offers sweet tannins, lots of dark cherry, spicy sensations, rich fruit weight and hints of salinity on the close. Best After 2022

Wines & Spirits (W&S) : 93 Points (2019)
Accents of menthol and licorice give a cool herbal edge to this wine’s vibrant raspberry and blackberry flavors. Bold and rich in style, the wine is layered with hints of warm spice and creamy milk chocolate that evolve into baked clay and leather tones. Those flavors should knit together even more gracefully in a few years.

Vinous (Antonio Galloni) (VN) : 92 Points (2019)
The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Badia a Passignano is packed with inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, leather and incense. Opulent and flamboyant to the core, the 2019 speaks in a loud, brash voice. There's a ton of richness, but less in the way of finesse. After many years of tasting this wine, I have to conclude the Badia is never going to be a particularly refined Chianti Classico. It's just not in its DNA. (AG) (6/2022)

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