2019 Villa Antinori Rosso Toscana IGT

The 2019 season began with dry weather during the first part of spring then cooler temperatures and rainfall that affected the vegetative cycle, slowing down initial vine growth and causing a subsequent delay in flowering two weeks later than seasonal averages.

 Summer was hot with well distributed rainfall throughout the season that allowed the grapes to begin an optimal ripening phase. At harvest time, the grapes had a good balance between acidity and sugar concentration levels, excellent aromatic potential due to significant day/night temperature swings during the final weeks of ripening. The grape harvest took place ten days later than in 2018. Merlot was the first to be picked during the last half of September, followed by Syrah and was then completed by mid-October with Sangiovese, Petit Verdot and Cabernet.

Harvested grapes were destemmed, gently crushed and then transferred to temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Alcoholic fermentation took place over a period of 5 to 7 days while maceration on the skins lasted for 8 to 12 days. Temperatures during fermentation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot never exceeded 28 °C (82 °F) coaxing the gentle extraction of color and supple tannins. Fermentation temperatures for Syrah and Merlot never exceeded 25 °C (77 °F) to preserve the grape varieties’ aromatic compounds. 

Malolactic fermentation was completed by the end of the year for all grape varieties and the wine was then transferred to French, Hungarian and American oak barriques foraging. Villa Antinori was bottled as of July 2021.