Since 1385: From Florentine silk trade to the wine icon of Tuscany
The history of the Marchesi Antinori begins in 1385, when Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Florentine Winemakers' Guild — at that time still a Florentine merchant family that earned its capital in the silk trade and recognized the potential of Tuscan vineyards early on. Over 26 generations and more than six centuries, the family has managed the company continuously under its own direction, without ever a sale or break in the line of ownership. The house owes its deep knowledge of sites to this continuity, including the historic Tignanello estate in the heart of Chianti Classico.
The next major turning point came in 1928, when Niccolò Antinori launched the first age-worthy Chianti with the Villa Antinori — a wine that prioritized structure and aging potential over the then-common table wine and helped shape the Chianti Classico Riserva quality seal. The actual revolution followed in 1971: Piero Antinori, together with oenologist Giacomo Tachis, developed Tignanello, a cuvée of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, aged in barriques instead of large-volume barrels. This wine, named after the vineyard of the same name, consciously broke with the prevailing DOC rules and established the category of Super Tuscans. Today, Piero's daughters Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia steer the company.
Cellar construction as an attitude: Gravity, soil, and sustainability
In 2012, Antinori opened the new main winery Antinori nel Chianti Classico near Bargino, close to San Casciano — for 26 generations, the first winery explicitly designed to welcome visitors. The building is almost completely buried in the hill; from the outside, one only sees two horizontal cuts in the landscape. Locally sourced materials, including Tuscan terracotta, characterize the structure. The entire production process follows the gravity principle: harvested grapes are crushed at ground level and flow from there into the fermentation tanks without pumps. Water is treated and recycled.
In the vineyard, Antinori relies on precision viticulture: multispectral drones, weather stations, and robotic systems accompany the work to minimize chemical interventions. Individual estates, including Castello della Sala in Umbria, are already organically certified. Albiera Antinori sums up the house's philosophy: „We are not owners of the land but its guardians.
