Tignanello is produced exclusively from the vineyard of the same name, a parcel of some 140 acres (57 hectares) with limestone-rich soils and a southwestern exposure at 1150-1325 feet (350-400 meters) above sea level at the Tignanello estate.

It was the first Sangiovese wine to be aged in small oak barrels, the first modern red wine in the region to use such non-traditional varieties as Cabernet in the blend, and among the first red wines from the Chianti Classico area to be produced without white grapes.

The wine, originally called "Chianti Classico Riserva vigneto Tignanello" (a Chianti Classico Riserva from the Tignanello vineyard), was produced for the first time from a single vineyard parcel in 1970, when the blend contained 20% of Canaiolo and 5% of Trebbiano and Malvasia, both white grapes, and the wine aged in small oak barrels.

In 1971, it became a Tuscan red table wine rather than a Chianti Classico and was called Tignanello. In the 1975 vintage, the percentage of white grapes was definitively eliminated from the blend. Ever since 1982, the blend has been the one currently used. Tignanello is bottled only in favorable vintages, and was not produced in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1984, 1992, and 2002.

Marchesi Antinori’s 2018 Tignanello (IGT Toscana) comes from the Tignanello vineyard in Tuscany and continues the long-running formula: a blend of Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. In 2018, a cooler, longer season helped deliver a version that critics consistently describe as poised rather than forceful.

The top review is Monica Larner’s 98-point rating in *Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate*, an excellent score that she notes is driven by precision and clarity. She calls it “a retro but classic personality” and says, “The 2016 vintage was a benchmark for sure, but I prefer the 2018,” attributing that preference to a “cool, long growing season.” Larner also highlights how clearly the blend speaks in this vintage, pointing to “green spice and white pepper of the two Cabernets” alongside “aromas of crushed limestone,” and she underlines the wine’s control: “there are no exaggerations, excesses or loose ends.”

Multiple critics land in the 96–97 point range, reinforcing the wine’s standing among the vintage’s leading Super Tuscans. James Suckling awards 97 and emphasizes aromatic lift—“cherry blossoms and roses”—with “very fine tannins,” a “racy and very, very long finish,” and a “sophisticated and reserved style,” adding that it is “drinkable now, but will age nicely.”

*Wine Spectator* (96) leans more savory and structured, describing “a dark, brooding style, yet focused” on “black cherry, blackberry, spice, tobacco and iron,” finishing with “superb focus and balance,” and advising “Drink now through 2042.” *Wine Enthusiast* (97) stresses refinement—“fragrant and incredibly refined”—with cherries, licorice, and “polished, fine-grained tannins,” recommending 2023–2033.

Decanter (96) frames 2018 as a “classic… with a long life ahead,” citing clove, black pepper, and an “exotic finish of spice and cocoa,” carried by “long acidity.”