Antinori Tenuta Marchese Chianti Classico Riserva

Climate: autumn of 2010 and the winter of 2011 were characterized by cold and rainy weather and by a bit of snowfall at the end of 2010. Early 2011 instead was somewhat dry with a mild spring which led to an early bud burst ten days ahead of the seasonal average in the zone. The growing season was quite favorable until july which was cool returning the cycle of vine development to seasonal norms. The wines then suffered from a prolonged period of high temperatures a heat wave which began around august 10th and continued up until mid-september. The sangiovese grapes continued their ripening though slowed by the extended heat but then benefitted from the change in climate which began around september 25th; nighttime temperatures dropped and the swings from daytime heat to evening and nighttime coolness aided grape development allowing picking to begin on september 27th and to conclude by october 10th. The picking of the cabernet was concentrated during the first ten days of