Marka: Antinori

CLASSIFICATION
Toscana IGT

BLEND
Cabernet sauvignon 75%, cabernet franc 5%, sangiovese 20%

CLIMATE
The season began with a particularly mild winter with very little rain, which caused sprouting and all other vegetative phases of the plants to take place earlier than usual. The temperatures during the first months of summer were rather hot, while in August temperatures cooled down, allowing the plants' vegetative development to proceed normally. Nevertheless, harvesting was initiated a bit ahead of schedule with respect to the average timing of preceding vintages. In September and October, the days were hot and sunny and the nights were cool, thus creating great temperature fluctuations. These fluctuations, in turn, guaranteed higher quality grapes, especially in the case of sangiovese. Right from the beginning of the process of vinification, it was clear that the clusters, and therefore also the must, were of an excellent quality. Besides having very intense aromas and colors, the sangiovese and cabernet varietals differentiated themselves by their strong typicity.
The optimal climatic conditions allowed the harvest, which took place between mid-September and the first week of October, to be carried out in a precise manner with an accurate selection of only the best grape bunches.

VINIFICATION
Due to the favorable climatic conditions during harvest time, the grapes from the Solaia vineyards could be picked according to their stage of ripeness, which resulted from their exposure to the sun as well as from the strength of the plants. We thereby obtained very high quality grapes. But despite these advantageous conditions it was still necessary to carefully hand select the grape bunches, so as to ensure the delivery of only perfect grapes in the winery—a necessity for obtaining a qualitatively high profile wine. Harvesting was done strictly by hand and, as in previous years, during vinification a lot of attention was paid to the processes of fermentation and extraction. The subsequent operations of dèlestage and pumping over were also conducted in a manner which preserved the varietal aromas and the heightened color content of the grapes. Fermentation for each varietal (sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, and cabernet franc), took place at a temperature of around 27°C and never exceeded 31°C, in order to best preserve the olfactory characteristics and the typicity of the grapes, which were clearly present in the raw material. The musts showed complexity and varietal typicity in their aromas, demonstrating an elegance and color which foreshadowed that this would be an excellent vintage. After first racking, which was carried out when alcoholic fermentation had finished, the wines were put into oak barrels where malolactic fermentation took place by year's end. The wine was aged in French new oak barrels for approximately 18 months. Throughout this time, the various lots were individually looked after and were tasted continuously in order to control and obtain the best results possible from their aging process in the wood barrels. As usual, the evolution of each barrique was carefully monitored so as to control and guarantee the elegance and character of the tannins: which are also a result of the periodic racking that was carried out. The wine was subsequently blended and bottled on the estate, then aged for one more year in the bottle before being released on the market. Alcohol content: 14.5% by Vol.

HISTORICAL DATA
Solaia is a vineyard of about 10 hectares in size, with a south-west exposure, located near the Tignanello Estate at an altitude of between 350 and 400 meters above sea level. It is situated on rocky calcareous soil which contains limestone rocks. Marchesi Antinori's first vintage of this wine was that of 1978; the original varietal composition consisted of 80% cabernet sauvignon and 20% cabernet franc, and this blend was used again in the 1979 vintage. In the following years 20% sangiovese was added, and the ratio of cabernet sauvignon to cabernet franc was modified, thereby arriving at the current varietal blend. Solaia is produced only in exceptional vintages and was not made in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, and 1992.

TASTING NOTES
Solaia 2007 is a very complex wine with a solid and full-bodied structure. The aroma is fruity, intense, and sweet with notes of ripe cabernet which give the wine a strong individual identity. In the mouth the tannins are soft, gentle, and harmonious. The varietal notes are dominant and work together to indulge the palate with a long and wonderfully persistent finish.

AWARDS
Guida "Duemilavini 2011" Premio "Cinque Grappoli"
ASSOCIAZIONE ITALIANA SOMMELIER
2011
Italy

"Chianti Classico e Super Tuscans" Score: 95/100
FALSTAFF MAGAZINE
2011
Germany

"Vini d'Italia 2011" guide Award "Tre Bicchieri"
GAMBERO ROSSO
2011
Italy

Award "Super Tre Stelle"
I VINI DI VERONELLI 2011
2011
Italy

Score: 97/100
WINE ADVOCATE October 2009
2009
U.S.A

Score: 94/100
WINE SPECTATOR
2007
U.S.A