Solaia - by Piero Antinori 2009
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Item# 83116DM-09
James Suckling
94pt
Robert Parker
96+pt
Vinous Media
96pt
Wine Enthusiast
97pt
Wine Spectator
95pt
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.
