Solaia (2013) Marchesi Antinori

The Antinori family has been producing exceptional wines for 26 generations and has been indelibly associated with wine since the 14th century.

It began in 1385 when Giovanni di Piero Antinori became a member of the Florentine Winemakers’ Guild. 

In the 1900s, Antinori acquired the Tignanello vineyard, using it as a laboratory of sorts. He experimented with different winemaking methods and non-native grapes. 

When Piero Antinori took the helm in 1961, he and his enologist, Giacomo Tachis, experimented further with French grapes and techniques. This included stainless steel vat fermentation, barrique aging, and allowing malolactic fermentation to occur in the barrel.

These efforts resulted in two of Antinori’s most famous Super Tuscan wines! Tignanello was released in 1971 and Solaia soon after, in 1978. 

Winemakers started using non-indigenous grape varietals to make high-quality wines (against Italian wine rules of the time). As the wines didn’t meet DOC standards, they were designated as Vino da Tavola (VdT). 

The term “Super Tuscan” was coined to separate these fine wines from the inexpensive VdT. It's a term used to describe Tuscan wines that include non-native grapes like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. Today, most Super Tuscans are designated as IGT or Bolgheri DOC.

Although rival Sassicaia is known as the original Super Tuscan wine, it’s the Antinori estate, with its impeccable history and cultural standing in Italy, that helped alter attitudes to what Italian wine could be. 

The success of wines like Solaia, Tignanello, and Sassicaia inspired other Italian producers to break the mold and experiment with non-native grape varietals. 

The Tenuta Tignanello estate lies at the heart of the Chianti Classico region, between the Pesa and Greve valleys. At 350-400 meters above sea level, it’s known as one of the highest and most picturesque localities in the entire territory.

The 130-hectare vineyard is divided into smaller parcels. The Solaia and Tignanello vineyards lie on the gentle southwest-facing slope, with marine marlstone from the Pliocene period that’s rich in limestone and schist. 

The vines enjoy warm temperatures during the day and cooler evenings through the growing season. But the Solaia vineyard, which loosely translates to “the Sunny One,” gets the most sunshine. 

The Solaia vineyard is 20 hectares with vines that average 15 years old. 75% of the vineyard is dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and the remaining 20% is planted with Sangiovese grapes.

2013 was a great vintage for Solaia but the best is yet to come as this wine was built for long cellar aging.

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