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Tignanello 1988 Antinori

8/00. Bought at auction, Oct-98 for $120.
It has been 15 months since I last tasted this delicious 'Super Tuscan'. I find it hard to resist the Cabernet-Sagnovese combination these wine are made of.
Today I decided to open my last bottle to accompany a mid-week simple dinner at home. Some might think it a sacrilege to have such a wine with a home-made spaghetti bolognese. But Dorit's rendition is so good that it will not shame the best wines in the world (as long as they have some zest to stand up to the dish).
COLOR: Medium dark, just beginning to show a bit of age.
NOSE: Wow! Tons of concentrated forest-fruit (both red and black), with fine nuances of earthy elements. All this is wrapped in a distinct oaky envelope that serves to accentuate the aromas, not to mask them.
TASTE: Big wine on the palate. Almost completely mature though still have something in reserve. The fruit is opulent and there is something to the flavor that reminds me of chestnuts(?). The winyness is intense, the tannins are much softer than what I remember from last time, the backbone is firm and the total effect is completely satisfying.
LENGTH: Moderately long and reverberating aftertaste that lingers.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied big oaky wine that does not feel (too) oaky at all. Very expressive and superbly crafted. Excellent balance with plenty of far-from-simple fruit, pleasant tannins and very good acidity.
OVERALL: Superb. Approaching its peak though will hold for many more years.
MARK: 18.5/20.BUY MORE? Yes.


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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.