Marchesi Antinori Solaia Toscana IGT 2021
(Tuscany, Italy) - [VM 100] [WS 98] [JS 97] [WA 97] [DM 97]

About the Vineyard:
The sunniest part of the Tignanello's hillside is home to the Solaia vineyard. The very best grapes from the very best vineyard. All the rest is passion, the utmost care and research. These are the secrets of Solaia together with the finest Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese grapes from its namesake vineyard.

Solaia is a 50 acre (20 hectare) vineyard with a southwestern exposure located at an altitude between 1150 and 1325 feet (350-400 meters) above sea level and with a stony soil of “alberese” (hard limestone) and “galestro” (flaky calcareous clay) rock. The vineyard is located at the Tignanello estate. The Antinori family produced this wine for the first time in the year 1978, and the initial blend was 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Cabernet Franc, a formula repeated in 1979 as well. In the following years, 20% of Sangiovese was introduced and certain adjustments were also made in the rapport between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc until the current blend was settled upon. Solaia is produced only in exceptional vintage, and was not produced in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, and 1992.

Vinification:

The utmost care and attention were given both in the vineyards during harvesting operations and in the cellar. Grapes were destemmed, meticulously selected on sorting tables, delicately crushed then transferred by gravity flow into vats. It was imperative that only the finest berries reached the 60 Hl truncated cone shaped fermentation tanks. During fermentation and maceration on the skins, it was essential to maintain the right balance between fruity compounds and quality of the tannins to best express the softness, fragrance, identity, and character of Solaia. Immediately after racking, malolactic fermentation began in barriques, enhancing the complexity and pleasantness of the wine. Aging took place in new French oak barrels for approximately 16 months. The various lots were aged separately then blended and reintroduced into barrels to complete the aging process.

Tasting Notes:
Intensely ruby red in color with violet hues, Solaia 2021’s nose is remarkably complex: intense notes of small dark ripe fruit especially black currants, blackberries and purple plums that follow through to fresh hints of mint, myrtle and spicy notes of white pepper. Sweet aromas of powdered sugar, cocoa powder and licorice are seamlessly integrated. Entry on the palate is rich, enticing, vibrant with an excellent and well-balanced structure. Silky tannins accompany a lengthy finish defined by a persistent aftertaste with hints of dark chocolate.

Ratings & Reviews

100 Points - Vinous Media:
"Antinori's 2021 Solaia is another wine that captures all of the potential I sensed when I tasted it some months ago. More than anything else, the 2021 is a fine example of the style Antinori favors these days, an approach that favors finesse more than opulence. Dark plum, mocha, licorice, chocolate, spice, lavender and menthol build effortlessly in the glass. Oak and tannin are impeccably balanced. The 2021 spent 18 months in wood, three months in once-used barrels during the malolactic fermentation and then 15 months in 100% new barrels for the rest of its aging." - Antonio Galloni (July 2024)

98 Points - Wine Spectator:
"A deep, dense red, drenched with blackberry, pomegranate, plum and sweet spice flavors. Iron, tobacco and wild herb elements peek through as this plays out on the finish under a strong grip of tannins. Shows terrific balance and length now, yet this should only improve after a few more years in the bottle. Superb. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2047. 7,333 cases made, 634 cases imported." - Bruce Sanderson (Oct 2024)

97 Points - Wine Advocate:
"All said and done, the Marchesi Antinori 2021 Solaia is a monument to perfect winemaking. This coiffed supermodel does not show a single hair follicle out of place. However, it doesn't quite have the same sex appeal of the Tignanello. In my conversations with Estate Manager Renzo Cotarella during this tasting, it was expressed this way: "Tignanello is unexpected. Solaia is expected." Whereas Tignanello is a wine of vertical lift and energy, Solaia is a wine of lasting power. The wine offers generous depth and layering with soft tannins and some of the spicy pink peppercorn you get from the 9% Cabernet Franc (added to 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Sangiovese). The finish is extremely velvety and soft, but I notice that the flavors seem to become sweeter and riper the longer this wine stays in the glass. This newest release will hit the market in September." - Monica Larner (Mar 2024)

97 Point - James Suckling:
"This is a beautifully curated Solaia with blackcurrants and raspberries plus lavender and violet undertones. Graphite highlights it all. Just some new wood coming through. It’s full-bodied with fine velvety tannins that run the length of the wine, caressing the palate. Give this three or four years to come around. Best after 2027." (Apr 2024)

97 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"‘For me [2021 is] one of the best vintages ever,’ says Renzo Cotarella, Antinori's CEO and head winemaker, of the widely lauded vintage in Tuscany, explaining to me that it shares characteristics with 1997 and 2007, with a cool, frosty start slowing down vegetative growth and helping to extend the growing season, aided by milder temperatures later in the summer which enabled the grapes to build concentration while preserving freshness. Recent vintages of Solaia have benefitted from an increased use of Cabernet Franc, which stands at 9% in 2021. Due to be launched this autumn, Solaia 2021 is still a baby but its potential is immediately apparent. Inky and concentrated, with a dark chocolate barrique signature on the nose, it combines salinity with bountiful and sapid fruits, offering ripe black and red cherries, and dark hedgerow berries alongside herbal freshness, and finely textured tannins. Ferrous, meaty and earthy undertones emerge after some time in the glass, providing a counterpoint to the inherent sweetness of the fruit. Muscular yet wonderfully poised, this will only reveal all its complexities after significant ageing." - James Button (Apr 2024)