93+ 2006 Antinori Tignanello 8/27/10 ($75)85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc 15%alc
Color: Very deep garnet. (3.5) Bouquet: Black cherries and cassis, combining the dusty cherry of Sangiovese with the power of Cabernet. Rich and concentrated with structure. (3.5) Body: Excellent fruit and tannins. Young, but perfectly balanced with a viscous coating of smooth, big tannins in the mouth. Heavyweight. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but more restrained Sangiovese fruit with Cabernet structure being more dominant. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor. (3.0)
Overall: An outstanding Super-Tuscan blend with a long future ahead of it (10 years or more). It's perfectly balanced with a lot of young, attractive fruit and no rough edges in spite of its size. Big, smooth tannins give it an intoxicating liveliness even now. Has rich, delicious Sangiovese fruit up front (dusty cherry), but significant Cabernet character (cassis and tannins) comes through, even at only 15%. Making this just as appealing to my Cabernet-lover's side as to my Chianti-lover's side. Nonetheless, the quality is absolutely top notch. (16.5)
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