Antinori owns some of the most sought after estates in Tuscany and Umbria. They were leaders in the creation of the so-called 'Super Tuscans'. Solaia, which means the 'sunny one' in Italian, is a 10 hectares vineyard attached to the Tignanello vineyard, in the Mercatale Val di Pesa area of Chianti Classico. Antinori first produced Solaia in 1978, from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. The blend has changed over the years and now includes Sangiovese.
Tasting notes: This wine is made from 85% Chardonnay and 15% Grechetto grapes from vines planted at Antinori's Castello della Sala in Umbria, at elevations ranging between 200 and 400 metres. The varieties are vinified separately and the musts remain in contact with the skins for about 8 hours at 10°c to maximise the wine's aromas. Fermentation is in French oak barriques, and the wine then remains on the lees in the barriques for about 5 months, during which time it completes its malolactic fermentation. It then spends a further 10 months in the bottle in the historic cellars of Castello della Sala before being released.
The result is a complex array of aromas of citrus, pineapple and pears blending with vanilla from the oak used for ageing. Excellent and unspoilt varietal character. Well-structured palate with a long, satisfying finish.
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc
Tasting notes: The original Super-Tuscan, Tignanello is produced exclusively from the Tignanello vineyard, a 47 hectares (116 acres) southwest-facing, calcareous rocky-marl and limestone soil plot planted between 1,150 and 1,312 feet above sea level at Antinori's Santa Cristina Estate. It was the first Sangiovese to be aged in small oak barrels, the first red wine from the region in modern times to use a non-traditional grape variety, Cabernet, in the blend, and among the first red wines made in Chianti with no white grapes. In all three instances, it set the example for a new breed of exceptional top-of-the-line Italian wine, and established the rule in Tuscany for breaking the rules, which has been widely emulated.
The blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc gives a harmonious and complex wine evoking tobacco, blackberry and blackcurrant jam. A mouthfilling silky palate enhances the sweetness making the 2003 vintage a very stylish version of the Tignanello. A light hint of sweet, nicely rounded tannins in the finish complete the wine beautifully.
Tasting notes: This wine from the Bolgheri region of Tusacny oozes quality. The full fruit is beautifully balanced with a fine and well integrated tannin structure, and finishes with great length on the palate.
