The Great Super Tuscans: Solaia

Solaia 2003 ….. Purchase price: 132.30$ CAD

Dark ruby red with slight garnet edges. This wine needs 1-2 hours of decanting for it to open up. On the nose, the wine delivers wonderful aromas of brown sugar, licorice, blackberries, cooked rubarb as well as clear notes of forest underbrush and cedar. On the palate, there is a slight pleasing sweetness at the beginning followed by a quenching acidity that ends with an extremely long finish that lingers on and on. What can I say, this a really enjoyable wine worthy of its reputation.  93 points

BACKGROUND ON SOLAIA

Solaia is a wine that comes from a single vineyard from the Antinori estate of Tignanello located in the hills of Chianti Classico.  Its name derives itself from the Italian word “sole” meaning sun … a reflection of the vineyard’s strong exposure to the sun. Solaia’s first vintage was in 1978 making it one of the original Super Tuscans. Over the years, Solaia has gained the reputation as being one of the serious Tuscan wines … one that any serious wine lover should carry in their cellar. Indeed one of the great things about Solaia, is its ability to be cellared for a long period of time.

Since its conception in 1978 Solaia's labelling has never changed. Moreover, this grand wine is only produced in the best of vintages skipping those which are not deemed fit to live up to its reputation 

e.g. 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1992. 

As its producer Marchese Piero Antinori describes it, Solaia is the “opposite of Tignanello” made from a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 20% Sangiovese. It is aged for eighteen months in barrels of new French Oak, after which its component wines are blended, bottled and cellared for one year on the estate before release. Thus it takes 30 months from the moment of harvest to the time it is released.

What never ceases to amaze me about Solaia is the elegance and finesse found in its tannins. On the mouth it is so rich and dense. Despite the fact that it is made mainly French varietals, Solaia has such a significant Tuscan character.

The only sad thing about Solaia … is that like many of the great Super Tuscans, it has seen a great spike in its price nearing the 250$ CAD for a 750mL bottle. Indeed, it’s sad to see how such a great wine like this, which was once accessible to many, has become such a luxury item. However, one thing remains true, if you have the means of affording one of these babies along with the patience of waiting a few years before opening it … the reward of drinking it will be well worth it.

Although the bottle tasted was one of the 2003 vintage, the SAQ (Quebec's government run liquor commission) currently stocks the 2007 and 2008 vintages. For web viewers around the world, click here to see which retailers carry Solaia. It usually hits the shelves of consumers around the world in the Spring of every year, in the month of April.

Solaia 2007 (SAQ CODE: 10821064) ……………...  241.75$ *

Solaia 2008 (SAQ CODE: 11593657)  ………….... 247.00$

* According to its chief winemaker Renzo Cotarella, the 2007 Solaia may go down in history as being "the best Solaia ever made". Although I haven’t had the chance of tasting the 2007 vintage, I do have it stocked in my cellar and plan on tasting it sometime in the future.