Villa Antinori Rosso 2023, Toscana IGT

Villa Antinori Rosso Toscana IGT was first made by Marchese Niccolò Antinori in 1928 and named after the family’s villa, conceived as a Tuscan red that could age and improve over time. The label still shows the Villa del Cigliano in San Casciano Val di Pesa, owned by the Antinori family since 1546. Today it is a Toscana IGT blending Sangiovese with international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled tanks, left on their skins for extra extraction, and the wine is then aged in French and Hungarian oak barriques before bottling.

In the glass it is ruby red. The nose shows black cherry with a hint of blood orange, plus spice, tobacco and a touch of toasty oak. The palate is soft and enveloping, with ripe dark fruit, supple sweet tannins, good freshness and a long finish. It combines Tuscan character with a smooth, modern style.

Villa Antinori Rosso is a reliable partner for Italian classics: lasagne, pasta with ragù, roast pork or lamb, grilled steak, mushroom dishes and hard cheeses. Serve at 16 to 18°C. It is drinking well now and will keep for five to seven years.

Villa Antinori is the signature label of the Antinori family, the Florentine wine dynasty with roots going back to 1385. Marchese Niccolò Antinori created the red in 1928, naming it after the family villa and using it to carry the Antinori name to a wider audience; the white followed in 1931. The label still shows the Villa del Cigliano in San Casciano Val di Pesa, in the Chianti Classico hills, which the family has owned since 1546. Both wines are now made as Toscana IGT, giving the winemakers freedom to blend Tuscany’s traditional grapes with international varieties. The result is a pair of dependable, food-friendly wines that capture the Antinori house style in a modern, approachable form.