Antinori: Six centuries of innovation in Italian wine
In the heart of Tuscany, where sun-kissed vineyards drape across rolling hills, the name Marchesi Antinori resonates as one of the oldest and most revered dynasties in the world of wine. The winery that brings us Tignanello boasts a winemaking lineage that dates back to 1385, when a family of silk weavers decided to cultivate vines around Florence. Since then, the Antinori family has masterfully blended tradition with bold innovation, creating some of Italy’s most iconic wines and elevating the global perception of Italian viticulture.
From the Super Tuscan revolution to pioneering vineyards in Umbria and beyond, Marchesi Antinori continues to shape the narrative of fine wine in Italy, writing a story of heritage, terroir, and relentless pursuit of the extraordinary.
While headquartered in Chianti Classico, the house also operates around 12 estates across Italy as well as further properties abroad with international interests including wineries in Napa Valley, Chile, Hungary, and Romania. Annually, it produces around 20 million bottles across 150 labels.
A Tuscan legacy
Few wine families can claim a legacy as enduring as the Antinoris. When Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Florentine Winemakers’ Guild in 1385, he planted the seed of what would become one of the most influential wine families in history. Over 26 generations later, the family – now led by Marchese Piero Antinori’s daughters Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia – continues to craft wines that express Italy’s noble terroirs with clarity, depth, and elegance.
With their roots firmly planted in Tuscany, the Antinori estates stretch from the famed hills of Chianti Classico to the coastal vineyards of Bolgheri and the volcanic soils of Umbria. Though steeped in tradition, the family has never been afraid to challenge convention – a daring ethos that led to the birth of the revolutionary Super Tuscan movement that forever changed the landscape of Italian wine.
Here are five of its most groundbreaking and admired wines.
Tignanello: A trailblazer reimagined
Perhaps no wine better encapsulates Antinori’s revolutionary spirit than Tignanello. First produced in 1971, Tignanello broke with Chianti Classico tradition by blending the region’s staple grape, Sangiovese, with international varieties, omitting white grapes from the blend and aging the wine in small French oak barrels – radical choices at the time.
Made predominantly from the traditional Sangiovese, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Tignanello fruit grows on the limestone-rich Tignanello vineyard in the heart of Chianti Classico. The wine offers layers of ripe cherry, plum, leather, and tobacco, underpinned by velvety tannins and vibrant acidity. Critically acclaimed and consistently sought-after, Tignanello is considered one of the world’s greatest red wines.
Solaia: Power and elegance from the sunny side
Adjacent to the Tignanello vineyard lies Solaia, the “sunny one.” Initially released in 1978, Solaia takes the innovation of Tignanello a step further, reversing the blend to a Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant expression, with Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc adding complexity and Tuscan soul.
A wine of immense power, Solaia seduces with aromas of blackcurrant, crushed violets, graphite, and spice. On the palate, it is rich, structured, and layered, with a finish that lingers for minutes. Frequently earning 95+ point scores from critics, top vintages such as 1997, 2006, 2015, and 2019 have achieved near-mythic status. Solaia remains a benchmark not just for Tuscany, but for global Cabernet-based wines.
Guado al Tasso: The Bolgheri jewel
In the coastal region of Bolgheri, Antinori’s Guado al Tasso estate showcases the family's mastery beyond Chianti. The flagship wine of the estate, also called Guado al Tasso, is a Super Tuscan blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and occasionally Petit Verdot, grown just kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Guado al Tasso is polished and powerful, with layers of dark berries, licorice, cedar, and mineral depth. It is a wine that embodies both Bolgheri's maritime freshness and Antinori’s hallmark elegance, rivaling the top names of the appellation.
Cervaro della Sala: A White Wine Revelation
From Umbria’s Castello della Sala, Antinori produces one of Italy’s most age-worthy and celebrated white wines: Cervaro della Sala. First made in 1985, Cervaro blends Chardonnay with a touch of Grechetto, fermented and aged partly in oak for complexity.
Displaying aromas of citrus blossom, stone fruit, hazelnut, and wet stone, Cervaro is Burgundian in style yet unmistakably Italian in soul. Its creamy texture, vibrant acidity, and saline finish make it a standout among white wines, proving that Antinori’s innovation extends beyond reds.
Pèppoli, Badia a Passignano, and beyond
Antinori’s Chianti Classico wines – including Pèppoli and Badia a Passignano – offer a more traditional yet refined expression of the region’s Sangiovese grape. These wines showcase the family’s dedication to quality across all tiers, making accessible wines that reflect place, history, and elegance.
The Pèppoli Estate produces bright, red-fruited Chianti Classico ideal for early enjoyment, while Badia a Passignano, made from vines surrounding an ancient abbey, offers more depth, structure, and aging potential, bridging tradition with contemporary finesse.
Stewardship and sustainability
Antinori’s legacy is not just measured in production figures and scores, but in their commitment to environmental stewardship. Across their estates, they practice sustainable farming, water conservation, and biodiversity preservation. Their state-of-the-art Antinori nel Chianti Classico winery is a symbol of modern elegance and environmental harmony, built seamlessly into the landscape, and powered in part by solar energy.
From replanting indigenous varieties to embracing organic viticulture, the Antinori family remains at the forefront of Italian wine’s sustainable future.
A look into the future
With over 600 years of winemaking behind them, the Antinori family shows no signs of slowing down. Under the leadership of the 26th and now 27th generation, the dynasty continues to explore new frontiers in viticulture, winemaking,and sustainability, while honoring the legacy of regions that made them icons.
Through wines like Tignanello, Solaia, Guado al Tasso, and Cervaro della Sala, Antinori reaffirms its place not just in the pantheon of Italian wine, but among the greatest producers in the world.
Want to read more? Take a look at some of our other blogs here:
