Solaia Dinner and Tasting (London)

This week we hosted a client dinner to demonstrate the virtues of family Marchesi Antinori’s Super Tuscan superpower, Solaia. Export Director Francesco Visani, who has been working for the family for twenty years, introduced seven different vintages, spanning twenty years, from 2001 to the chart-topping 2021.

The event was held at Doppo in the heart of London’s Soho, an intimate Tuscan inspired restaurant known for its fabulous food and wine list. A lovely selection of antipasti was followed by pappardelle with duck ragu, Bistecca, cheese and tiramisu, all of which was prepared and cooked to perfection. One client, an owner of a Tuscan villa, remarked it was better food than he could find locally!

As an aperitivo Bollinger Grand Année 2015 was served from magnums. It is drinking beautifully now, rich and textured, but with good acidity too – a great way to start the evening.

Family Marchesi Antinori

As well as introducing the wines, Francesco gave us a fascinating potted family history, and their involvement in wine, which started a massive twenty-six generations ago in 1385 – Logan Roy and family take note! The first family records date back to 1179.

The family now own twenty-two wine estates around the world, predominantly in Italy but also Napa, Washington State and Chile. These companies, which include Prunotto (Piedmont), Castello della Salla (Umbria) and Stag’s Leap (Napa) are all left to be independently managed. The Antinori name is only used on the historical wineries of Tuscany and Umbria.

Solaia history

Solaia, meaning ‘place of the sun’, comes from the sunniest vineyard and is part of the larger Tignanello estate, located in the heart of the Chianti Classico region. The first vintage of Tignanello was 1971.

Before this time, the family had been producing mainly Sangiovese on the estate, and a few indigenous white grape varieties which were included in the final blend, following the Chianti Classico DOCG guidelines.

The resulting wines tended to be of relatively high acidity and were not popular outside the local markets. The family wanted this to change and to do so, were prepared to withdraw from the classification, and play by its own rules.

Experimentation with planting Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc had begun in the sixties but it wasn’t until 1971 that the ‘modern day’ Tignanello was released, a blend of 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. It was labelled a ‘Vino di Tavola’, and the white grapes were excluded.

In 1978, and once the Cabernets had developed sufficiently, Solaia followed, under the same categorisation. Initially it was a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. A ’79 followed, but no ’80 or ’81. 1982 proved to be a great vintage and some Sangiovese was added into the blend, for a little extra acidity. Solaia was well and truly formed and on its journey.

Other notes of interest

The Solaia vineyard sits at 430 metres of altitude (one of highest Cabernet vineyards in the northern hemisphere – probably the highest for fine wine production of this standard) and is surrounded by forest. The soil is full of white rocks that reflect the heat during the day and cool off after sunset, unlike darker, earthier soils. These elements contribute to cooler temperatures of 1-2 degrees at night, which improves acidity and freshness.

Before 2014 the blend was typically c.75% Cabernet Sauvignon, c.20% Sangiovese and c.5% Cabernet Franc. Since then, percentage of Cabernet Franc has been increasing, helping to combat the effects of global warming. The variety adds aromatic complexity and notes of mint and white pepper, contributing to a fresher feel. Different vintage conditions bring different blends obviously – in 2020 Cabernet Franc contributed 15% and 2021, 10%.

Francesco tells us that tannin management is their obsession. They have a fantastic relationship with their barrel makers and can order their barrels once harvest is completed, which is generally unheard of. This not only controls the volume they need to order but also the style of barrel they want, how lightly or heavily toasted. They even use naturally aged barrels, known as T5 barrels – “five years old and five times the price” he quips!

Solaia is distributed via La Place de Bordeaux, debuting in 2010 with the 2007 vintage.

The vintages

We enjoyed the 2001, 2007 and 2008 (both from magnums), 2011, 2018, 2019, and 2021.

2011 split the room completely, it being the most opulent, whilst 2021 was the one most people wanted in their cellar.

Francesco’s greatest vintages (since he’s been there), he says are 2010 (now drinking well), 2016 (too young still) and 2021, noting that they all had long harvesting seasons and that all varieties were in perfect condition.

All the wines showed well during the evening, and at their various stages of development. It was a delicious, interesting and entertaining evening all round. A late train out of Victoria was less fun!

Our gratitude is extended to Francesco and everyone at Doppo, which I cannot recommend highly enough.

The wines

2011 Solaia

The vintage was hot and humid and was rich for some time but is now in a lovely spot. A touch of garnet colouring but young a real punch of blackberry and blackcurrant on the nose, nice bit of vanilla polish from the oak and its quite flamboyant with hints of orange rind and sweet flowers, quite a lot going on, a touch of chocolate. On the palate there is plenty of acidity, some Cabernet greenness and a long finish, touch of bitterness but so full of vibrant fruit, really exuberant, there is a left bank nose but an Italian fruit profile, it has some swagger. Long length, very juicy.

2019 Solaia

A cool vintage compared to average and a bit rainy in August. This is the opposite of 11, cool in summer, more rainfall than average a more elegant style less sweetness, still very pronounced in the nose and the oak is like cedar wood, touch of wood smoke there isn’t the greenness it’s very round and still voluptuous. There is more austerity perhaps more balance, it’s a little more direct, less showy and more understated. Gastronomic. There is a lovely balance to the wine, the fruit is less to the fore but balanced well. More elegance. Silky tannins even in a cold year. Drinking well when young.

2021 Solaia

The perfect mix of ’11 and ’19, Francesco’s favourite vintage. Spring was quite hot, but end of April was low temp for one week which dropped volume in Bolgheri but not at Solaia, as the vineyard is not impacted by frost, but the evolution of the vines was delayed. This somewhere between the previous two on the nose. Harvest was one month long whereas normally two to three and a half weeks. There is the wood smoke and incense and lovely spice with darker fruit profile and lots of aromatic detail, spices and flowers like a perfume shop, this is all dialled up with the mid palate, lots of power and acidity and the tannins are chunky, more unresolved as to be expected. The extra spices coming from the cab franc. Its very lush and very polished. Seriously impressive already and a long life ahead.

Also tasted in the evening:

2018 – this is quite fleshy more open than other vintages, good fruit profile. Warmer vintage more cabernet in the blend, perhaps a touch less acidity making this feel more open.

2019 – has more spice on the nose, from a cooler and more rainy vintage so less cabernet franc as the additional acidity wasn’t needed in the blend.

2001 – this really has some age on the nose but less on the palate, this has a meatiness and some tannin structure is still there and certainly not resolved, good length, a little iron and a little orange perhaps was quite a hot year. 01 only vintage vinified in wooden cask, since 04 they vinify in stainless steel. One of the greatest vintages with the older style and there is a lot going on, with the wine changing in the glass. Moving into the tertiary side of things, with the spice box flavours on the palate and macerated, maturing fruit, but will still drink beautifully for some time.

2007 – similar to 2001. A warm vintage and firmly in the ‘very good’ category. This has an incredible spice and maturity to it, elegance and wood smoke and spice and class. More ageing potential for sure.

2008 – similar to 2011. A warm and humid vintage, Francesco notes that 2008 has been difficult to drink for several years. This has more opulence. Good to drink now. Has quite a perfume that is fresher than the 2007 perhaps, a touch more lifted.