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Solaia - by Piero Antinori

2009
Producer
Grand Cru Classe Bordeaux
Blend
5% Cabernet Franc
75% Cabernet Sauvignon
20% Sangiovese
Country
Italy
Region
Tuscany
UPC
0 15643 57696 6
0 15643 75509 5
0 15643 25823 7
New
Red Wine
Verified Stock
Verified Stock
Verified Stock
83116A-09/1PK
83116DM-09
83116-09/6PK
Product Ratings
James Suckling 94pt

Plums and chocolate plus hints of rose petals on the nose. Full-bodied and very ripe — almost raisiny. Spicy and intense with so much fruit and energy. Bigger style. Drink or hold.

by James Suckling, 2017
Vinous Media 96pt

Another rich, sumptuous wine, the 2009 Solaia (magnum) is stellar. Opulent and expansive on the palate, with tremendous resonance, the 2009 is radiant, yet it benefits quite a bit from the large format, which helps preserve a measure of freshness. Red cherry/raspberry jam, spice, new French oak and floral notes build into the dense, beautifully layered finish.

by Vinous Media, 2020
Wine Advocate 96+pt

The 2009 Solaia is one of the clear standouts of the vintage. Freshly cut flowers, raspberries, spices, mint and licorice burst from the glass as this fabulous, viscerally thrilling wine shows off its pure class. Today the oak is a bit prominent, but that won’t be an issue by the time the wine is ready to drink. In one of my blind tastings, the 2009 Solaia was flat-out great. There is no shortage of pedigree here. The 2009 has calmed down a little from its youth, when it was a much more exuberant wine, and has now begun to close down in bottle. Solaia is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc from a single parcel within the Antinori family’s Tignanello vineyard. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.

by Wine Advocate, 2012
Wine Enthusiast 97pt

Like its sunshine-inspired name suggests, Solaia is an opulent and generous achievement that represents the highest pedigree in Italian wine. The intensity is mind-blowing and the wine peels back slowly to reveal thick layers of blackberry, chocolate fudge, spice and general fruit decadence. The mouthfeel is super smooth yet powerful, delivered in the most elegant fashion.

by Wine Enthusiast, 2013
Wine Spectator 95pt

A pretty red, boasting floral, cherry, black currant, chocolate and spice aromas and flavors. The firm structure is assertive now, both acidity and tannins, but the sweet fruit and spice flavors persist and grace the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc.

by Wine Spectator, 2013
James Suckling 94pt

Plums and chocolate plus hints of rose petals on the nose. Full-bodied and very ripe — almost raisiny. Spicy and intense with so much fruit and energy. Bigger style. Drink or hold.

by James Suckling, 2017
Vinous Media 96pt

Another rich, sumptuous wine, the 2009 Solaia (magnum) is stellar. Opulent and expansive on the palate, with tremendous resonance, the 2009 is radiant, yet it benefits quite a bit from the large format, which helps preserve a measure of freshness. Red cherry/raspberry jam, spice, new French oak and floral notes build into the dense, beautifully layered finish.

by Vinous Media, 2020
Wine Advocate 96+pt

The 2009 Solaia is one of the clear standouts of the vintage. Freshly cut flowers, raspberries, spices, mint and licorice burst from the glass as this fabulous, viscerally thrilling wine shows off its pure class. Today the oak is a bit prominent, but that won’t be an issue by the time the wine is ready to drink. In one of my blind tastings, the 2009 Solaia was flat-out great. There is no shortage of pedigree here. The 2009 has calmed down a little from its youth, when it was a much more exuberant wine, and has now begun to close down in bottle. Solaia is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc from a single parcel within the Antinori family’s Tignanello vineyard. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.

by Wine Advocate, 2012
Wine Enthusiast 97pt

Like its sunshine-inspired name suggests, Solaia is an opulent and generous achievement that represents the highest pedigree in Italian wine. The intensity is mind-blowing and the wine peels back slowly to reveal thick layers of blackberry, chocolate fudge, spice and general fruit decadence. The mouthfeel is super smooth yet powerful, delivered in the most elegant fashion.

by Wine Enthusiast, 2013
Wine Spectator 95pt

A pretty red, boasting floral, cherry, black currant, chocolate and spice aromas and flavors. The firm structure is assertive now, both acidity and tannins, but the sweet fruit and spice flavors persist and grace the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc.

by Wine Spectator, 2013
James Suckling 94pt

Plums and chocolate plus hints of rose petals on the nose. Full-bodied and very ripe — almost raisiny. Spicy and intense with so much fruit and energy. Bigger style. Drink or hold.

by James Suckling, 2017
Vinous Media 96pt

Another rich, sumptuous wine, the 2009 Solaia (magnum) is stellar. Opulent and expansive on the palate, with tremendous resonance, the 2009 is radiant, yet it benefits quite a bit from the large format, which helps preserve a measure of freshness. Red cherry/raspberry jam, spice, new French oak and floral notes build into the dense, beautifully layered finish.

by Vinous Media, 2020
Wine Advocate 96+pt

The 2009 Solaia is one of the clear standouts of the vintage. Freshly cut flowers, raspberries, spices, mint and licorice burst from the glass as this fabulous, viscerally thrilling wine shows off its pure class. Today the oak is a bit prominent, but that won’t be an issue by the time the wine is ready to drink. In one of my blind tastings, the 2009 Solaia was flat-out great. There is no shortage of pedigree here. The 2009 has calmed down a little from its youth, when it was a much more exuberant wine, and has now begun to close down in bottle. Solaia is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc from a single parcel within the Antinori family’s Tignanello vineyard. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029.

by Wine Advocate, 2012
Wine Enthusiast 97pt

Like its sunshine-inspired name suggests, Solaia is an opulent and generous achievement that represents the highest pedigree in Italian wine. The intensity is mind-blowing and the wine peels back slowly to reveal thick layers of blackberry, chocolate fudge, spice and general fruit decadence. The mouthfeel is super smooth yet powerful, delivered in the most elegant fashion.

by Wine Enthusiast, 2013
Wine Spectator 95pt

A pretty red, boasting floral, cherry, black currant, chocolate and spice aromas and flavors. The firm structure is assertive now, both acidity and tannins, but the sweet fruit and spice flavors persist and grace the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc.

by Wine Spectator, 2013

History

Solaia, a twenty hectare (50 acre) vineyard of the Tignanello estate with a southwestern exposure, is situated at 350-400 meters (1175-1325 feet) above sea level on a soil of calcareous rock (known as alberese in Tuscany). The Marchesi Antinori firm produced this wine for the first time in the 1978 vintage with an initial blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, a blend repeated again in 1979.

Tasting notes

The 2009 Solaia shows a ruby red color. On the palate the wine is smooth which is the result of perfectly ripe grapes along with sensations of coffee, chocolate, mint, and licorice. The wine impresses for its finesse and structure, and is characterized by great elegance and aging potential, with its soft and velvety tannins.

Vinification

Favorable climatic conditions allowed the grapes to ripen regularly, unhurriedly, and uniformly, thereby enabling picking operations to go forward in a way which allowed the maximum attention to nuances and detailed differences in each and every single parcel of the Solaia vineyard. The grapes, after being tasted and evaluated on the basis of their overall ripeness, the coloring material in their skins, and the maturity of their pips, were carefully picked by hand into small packing cases, separating the individual parcels from one another on the basis of all the varying viticultural and oenological criteria.

Weather

The season in the Chianti Classico production zone was characterized by an autumn and the following winter which were both cold and wet; winter rains guaranteed good and useful water reserves in the ground during the first part of spring, which was initially mild, without any return of winter cold. The bud break in the vineyard, accordingly, was a regular one and took place well within seasonal averages for the period; rain arrived in June and during the first days of the month of July and pushed the development of the vine vegetation.

Vinification

Favorable climatic conditions allowed the grapes to ripen regularly, unhurriedly, and uniformly, thereby enabling picking operations to go forward in a way which allowed the maximum attention to nuances and detailed differences in each and every single parcel of the Solaia vineyard. The grapes, after being tasted and evaluated on the basis of their overall ripeness, the coloring material in their skins, and the maturity of their pips, were carefully picked by hand into small packing cases, separating the individual parcels from one another on the basis of all the varying viticultural and oenological criteria.

History

Solaia, a twenty hectare (50 acre) vineyard of the Tignanello estate with a southwestern exposure, is situated at 350-400 meters (1175-1325 feet) above sea level on a soil of calcareous rock (known as alberese in Tuscany). The Marchesi Antinori firm produced this wine for the first time in the 1978 vintage with an initial blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, a blend repeated again in 1979.

Tasting notes

The 2009 Solaia shows a ruby red color. On the palate the wine is smooth which is the result of perfectly ripe grapes along with sensations of coffee, chocolate, mint, and licorice. The wine impresses for its finesse and structure, and is characterized by great elegance and aging potential, with its soft and velvety tannins.

Weather

The season in the Chianti Classico production zone was characterized by an autumn and the following winter which were both cold and wet; winter rains guaranteed good and useful water reserves in the ground during the first part of spring, which was initially mild, without any return of winter cold. The bud break in the vineyard, accordingly, was a regular one and took place well within seasonal averages for the period; rain arrived in June and during the first days of the month of July and pushed the development of the vine vegetation.

History

Solaia, a twenty hectare (50 acre) vineyard of the Tignanello estate with a southwestern exposure, is situated at 350-400 meters (1175-1325 feet) above sea level on a soil of calcareous rock (known as alberese in Tuscany). The Marchesi Antinori firm produced this wine for the first time in the 1978 vintage with an initial blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, a blend repeated again in 1979.

Tasting notes

The 2009 Solaia shows a ruby red color. On the palate the wine is smooth which is the result of perfectly ripe grapes along with sensations of coffee, chocolate, mint, and licorice. The wine impresses for its finesse and structure, and is characterized by great elegance and aging potential, with its soft and velvety tannins.

Weather

The season in the Chianti Classico production zone was characterized by an autumn and the following winter which were both cold and wet; winter rains guaranteed good and useful water reserves in the ground during the first part of spring, which was initially mild, without any return of winter cold. The bud break in the vineyard, accordingly, was a regular one and took place well within seasonal averages for the period; rain arrived in June and during the first days of the month of July and pushed the development of the vine vegetation.

Vinification

Favorable climatic conditions allowed the grapes to ripen regularly, unhurriedly, and uniformly, thereby enabling picking operations to go forward in a way which allowed the maximum attention to nuances and detailed differences in each and every single parcel of the Solaia vineyard. The grapes, after being tasted and evaluated on the basis of their overall ripeness, the coloring material in their skins, and the maturity of their pips, were carefully picked by hand into small packing cases, separating the individual parcels from one another on the basis of all the varying viticultural and oenological criteria.