Santa Cristina By Antinori Le Maestrelle Toscana IGT

Le Maestrelle represents Antinori's exploration of Toscana IGT—a deliberate step outside the Chianti Classico designation that has defined the family's 26-generation tenure in Tuscany. The vineyard sits in the Maremma region's coastal hills, where maritime influence and calcareous clay soils produce wines of unusual mineral precision for their ripeness.

The blend centers on Sangiovese, supplemented with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in proportions that shift with vintage. Fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel, followed by 12 months in French oak (mix of new and neutral)—a regime that preserves acidity rather than imposing oak dominance. The wine spends an additional 6 months in bottle before release, allowing tannins to integrate.

The transgression here is structural: Antinori deliberately chose IGT classification to avoid Chianti's mandatory Trebbiano inclusion, allowing a purer expression of Sangiovese's dark-cherry core without white-wine dilution. This flexibility has become the wine's signature across multiple vintages.

Drink 2024–2032. Best at 16–17°C.