Solaia (Antinori) Toscana 2018 750ml

The 2018 Solaia continues to develop beautifully. Resonant and ample on the palate, with tons of vibrancy, the 2018 offers terrific vibrancy as well as character. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, blackberry jam, licorice and spice build as the Solaia gains momentum over time. The 2018 is dense and beautifully layered, yet retains the mid-weight structure of this super elegant vintage.

Produced since 1978, Solaia comes from a 20-hectare vineyard with a southwestern exposure at around 350-400 metres above sea level. The soil is the typical 'alberese' limestone and 'galestro' schist. The 2018 vintage was fairly classic. The grape harvest began in late September with Cabernet Franc, followed by Sangiovese, and was completed on 10 October with Cabernet Sauvignon. This Solaia opens up with restrained bramble fruits, meaty hints, clove and dark chocolate framed with balsamic notes. The attack is full and soft with lively acidity, focused on the vibrancy of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chianti, with impressively refined tannins. Polished and concentrated, it finishes with an amazing salty persistency. Possibly it has less volume to 2016, but a bracing wine. Drinking Window 2022 - 2045.

The Marchesi Antinori 2018 Solaia reveals a silky and elegant personality, and the wine steps away from some of the more robust fruit weight and dark concentration that we’ve seen in the past. This elegant vintage prizes fruit purity and focus with black plum, cassis, blue flower, pencil shaving and lots of sweet spice from the oak that recalls clove and toasted almond. The blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller parts Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. The fruit is harvested at the Antinori family’s Tenuta Tignanello at the heart of the Chianti Classico appellation. The percentage of Cabernet Franc used in the blend is the ultimate Solaia wild card. In this vintage, the Franc has been increased to 7%, and that number is expected to be even higher in 2019 as the vines get older and the fruit more complex. Production of Solaia is 65,000 bottles in this vintage. This is a beautiful wine, but if pressed I must admit a preference for the 2018 Tignanello (the other celebrated wine crafted at this property). The 2018 Solaia is delicious on all fronts as expected, but the 2018 Tignanello struck at my heart strings. Either way, these are stunning results.

Very aromatic and lively on the nose with currants, fresh herbs, white pepper and cherry blossoms. Full-bodied with a vertical, multilayered structure and ultra fine tannins. Velvety texture. Extremely long and focused. Complex and succulent. This is the smallest production of Solaia ever. Great length. This is a beautifully complex red that’s open now, but needs another three to four years to show even more of its excellence.

The 2018 Marchesi Antinori Solaia has a more exotic, oak notes of sandalwood and cedar - very charming but a little more present or noticeable. The vintage was cooler and fresher with periods of rain and the fruit character seems cooler, darker and more in the family of forest-floor green notes, blackberries and green herbs but wrapped in creamy, spicy oak. There is a beautifully seductive texture, and the tannins are, as with all these more recent vintages, very, very refined.

Vibrant black currant, violet, vanilla and toasty oak flavors are the hallmarks of this classy red, which is succulent and balanced, with fine grip and a long, fruit-, iron- and spice-tinged aftertaste. More on the elegant side than powerful, yet this would benefit from an additional two to three years aging. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2040. 500 cases imported.

Showing muscle and restraint, this opulent, full-bodied red opens with subtle aromas of camphor, cassis, espresso and star anise. The concentrated, enveloping palate features raisin, steeped prune, licorice and mocha while velvety tannins lend a smooth texture. Drink 2023–2030.