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95 Robert Parker
The 2012 Solaia is the ultimate comfort wine: It serves as a beautiful monument to the potential of Italian wine. Let me give you some context. My lukewarm review of the 2011 vintage caused some heads to turn. Happily, the previous vintage has served as a springboard for this current release. Both 2011 and 2012 come from hot climatic conditions, but these wines are very different in style and content. The 2011 heat softened the lines that make up the varietal identity of this celebrated Tuscan blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. Those lines are presented in sharp focus with the 2012 edition. The nose is redolent of dark berry, crushed mineral, plum, spice and touch of white pepper. The wine is integrated and seamless, but it speaks with a strong and articulate voice.  I had my doubts about the 2012 vintage until my visit to Antinori's Tenuta Tignanello in Chianti Classico. The wines presented -- and the 2012 Solaia in particular -- demonstrate that great wines were made in this challenging growing season that started off very hot and ended very cool. Marchesi Antinori General Manager Renzo Cotarella with the Marchese Piero Antinori walked me through a grand tasting of the wines they make in Umbria and various parts of Tuscany. When I got to spend some intimate time with the latest bottle of the extended Solaia family, I was absolutely smitten. The 2011 vintage was also a hot year and the Solaia showed less dimension. With the 2012 vintage, we are happily reunited with the range of nuances and depth of complexity that makes this one of Italy's A-list wines. The Antinori family owns various properties in the Chianti Classico area including Badia a Passignano, Tenuta Tignanello and Peppoli. They recently purchased a new property called San Sano not from from Castello di Ama in Gaiole-in-Chianti. The property has a potential for 84 hectares of vines and is located at 450 meters above sea level. The soils are very rocky with heavy deposits of Galestro and Alberese stone. The area is known for slow-ripening and very aromatic expressions of Sangiovese. I look forward to tasting more fruit from this site.
93 Wine Spectator
Ripe plum and black cherry notes are augmented by toast, spice and tobacco details in this muscular red. Turns more compact on the finish, where dense, dusty tannins reign. Just needs time to integrate. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2018 through 2026. 500 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.