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Solaia 2008 75cl

IGT | Tuscany | Italy
CHF 335.10
Critics scores
93 Robert Parker
The 2008 Solaia is richer and darker than the Tignanello, but it isn’t an appreciably more complex or complete wine. It shows gorgeous depth and textural richness to match an expressive core of blackberry jam, smoke, scorched earth, crushed rocks and cassis. This is a beautiful wine, but not as great as I had hoped. The 2008 Solaia is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged in 100% new oak. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Antinori seems to do everything well these days, from churning out millions of bottles of supermarket wines all the way to turning out superb versions of their many flagship bottlings. This is another impressive set of new releases with a number of highlights. Over the years oenologist Renzo Cotarella has moved away from the super-late harvests of the late 1990s/early 2000s in favor of picking slightly earlier, a decision that has paid off handsomely, especially over the last few years. Antinori’s 2008s, from a vintage that is quite inconsistent across the board, are superb. I remember spending a few days near the estate’s Tignanello and Badia a Passignano estates in mid-August 2008. The days were very hot, but the nights were so cool that a sweater or light jacket was a necessity
92 Wine Spectator
Lush, ripe and polished to a gleam, this red exhibits black cherry, plum and sweet spice flavors on a powerful frame. Balanced, with a chewy, spice- and violet-filled finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2014 through 2020. 450 cases imported.
Producer
Antinori - Tenuta Tignanello
Tignanello, for most, the original Super-Tuscan, was first crafted in 1971 and has since remained a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. The 350-hectare estate lies amongst the picturesque hills between the Greve and Pesa River valleys, with 147 hectares of vineyards spread across the Chianti Classico appellation. Since the mid-1800s, this legendary estate, more than anywhere else, has expressed the Antinori’s family values: to display the union between tradition and modernity with wines that are genuine and characterized by their origins. Today, the leading figure in Tuscan wines, Piero Antinori, noted for his innovations and experiments in the field, manages the Marchesi Antinori group with his three daughters. Tignanello is home to two of the most influential wines ever created. The family’s flagship, Solaia and the first Super-Tuscan, Tignanello. These two iconic wines are marked by Antinori’s signature quality, they are vibrant yet complex and clearly express the presence of their unique terroir.