Tignanello, Toscana IGT 2020 75cl

This is Tuscany with its sleeves rolled up. A dry, full-bodied Italian red from Toscana IGT, the 2020 vintage brings Sangiovese together with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, so you get that classic Tuscan cherry bite wrapped in darker, Bordeaux-style depth. Basically, if Chianti Classico is the bottle you already know, this is the one that makes you lean forward and go, “Okay, now I get the fuss.”

What makes it fun is the tension. Sangiovese keeps things bright and savoury, with red cherry and that food-loving acidity Tuscany does so well. Cabernet Sauvignon adds blackcurrant, structure and grip. Cabernet Franc sneaks in with violet, herbs and a little leafy freshness. The result is layered, polished and serious, but not the kind of serious that makes everyone at the table nervous.

• Appearance: Deep ruby red with a clear, polished look in the glass.
• Nose: Dark cherry, blackcurrant and ripe plum up front, followed by violet, cedar, tobacco, sweet spice and a little Mediterranean herb lift.
• Palate: Dry and full-bodied, with ripe red and black fruit, bright acidity, firm but refined tannins, plus savoury notes of leather, spice and toasted oak.
• Body: Full-bodied, structured and layered, with enough freshness to keep each sip moving.
• Finish: Long and savoury, with cherry skin, cassis, tobacco, cedar and a mineral edge hanging around after the fruit fades.
• Food pairings: Bistecca alla Fiorentina, roast lamb with rosemary, wild mushroom risotto, aged Parmigiano Reggiano or slow-cooked beef ragù.

Pour this when dinner has a bit of drama. Not chaos drama. Good drama. A proper steak on the grill, lamb in the oven, mushroom pasta on the table, and people who’ll happily stay for another glass. It has the weight for rich dishes, but the acidity keeps it from feeling heavy or sleepy.

If you’re coming from Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a brilliant bridge into Italian fine wine. You’ll recognise the black fruit, cedar and structure, but the Sangiovese brings more tang, savoury snap and that unmistakable Tuscan food magnet thing. If you already love Chianti Classico Riserva, expect more depth, more polish and a darker fruit profile.

The 2020 vintage is especially handy if you like reds that balance ripeness with freshness. It’s generous enough to enjoy with a decant now, especially alongside rich food, but there’s enough tannin and structure here for the patient crowd too. Give it air and it opens in waves: fruit first, spice next, then that tobacco and cedar thing that makes you start talking about the wine instead of whatever you were meant to be discussing.

This is fine wine, yes, but don’t let that make it weird. You don’t need a crystal decanter, a velvet jacket, or a fake accent. You just need a big glass, some time, and food that can keep up. It’s a bottle for people who want complexity without a lecture, and a proper Tuscan red that still knows how to have dinner.

Fun Fact: Tignanello helped kick off the whole “Super Tuscan” movement, and it was one of the first Sangiovese-based reds from the area to be aged in small oak barrels and blended with Cabernet instead of following the old Chianti rulebook.