Antinori Solaia, Toscana IGT, Marchesi Antinori

Description

Solaia is one of the iconic Super-Tuscan Red wines. It is produced at Antinori’s world famous Tenute Tignanello estate in the heart of Chianti Classico which is located between the Greve and Pesa river valleys.

Antinori have been producing wine in Tuscany for six centuries and was founded in 1385 when Giovanni di Piero Antinori became a member, of the “Arte Fiorentina dei Vinattieri”, the Florentine Winemakers’ Guild. Antinori are probably most famous for producing on of the original Super-Tuscan wines, Tignanello, and have estates throughout Italy (Peppoli and Castello della Sala) and the rest of the world.

The Solaia vineyard is about 10 hectares in size, with a south-west exposure situated at an altitude of between 350 and 400 meters above sea level. It is situated on rocky calcareous soil which contains limestone rocks. Marchesi Antinori’s first vintage of this wine was the 1978 vintage. The original vintage was a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. This blend was used again in the 1979 vintage; however, in the following years 20% Sangiovese was added and the ratio of Cabernet Sauvignon to Cabernet Franc was modified, thereby arriving at the current varietal blend. The standards of quality control for Solaia are high and it is produced only in exceptional vintages. It was not produced in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, and 1992 for example. The 1998 is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 20% Sangiovese.

The grapes from the Solaia vineyard, which are as always carefully selected, were among the last to be harvested (starting September 25 for the Cabernets, and the Sangiovese a week later). Maceration took place in 50 hectoliter open wooden fermentors with periodic cap submersion for better extraction of colour, complexity and tannins. During this time  the wine completed its alcoholic fermentation at a temperature never exceeding 30°C. The wine was then transferred into 225 litre French oak barrels (Troncais and Alliers), where malolactic fermentation was terminated by the year’s end. The wines were then racked, blended and then returned to the barriques (new and one year old) for about 14 months aging, after which time they were bottled and aged for a further 12 months before release. Production was 8000 cases.