MARCHESI ANTINORI Solaia - Toscana IGT 2020 Bottle

Description

JAMES SUCKLING 98 points
Subtle and beautiful on the nose with currants, flowers and light sage aromas that follow through to a full body with ultra-fine tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Extremely polished and poised. Classy. Best after 2028.

DECANTER 97
Drinking Window: 2027 - 2045
Baked black fruit, ripe, fragrant and intense on the nose. Bright and sour fruit on the palate, quite a sharp initial tang from the high acidity before rich, sunny, ripe strawberries and raspberries come into play with liquorice, toast and cedar aspects giving the spiced element to the expression and graphite offering minerality. This is a powerful wine no doubt, bordering on too hedonistic at times - a result of the hot and dry summer, it's sensual, rich and flashy but the sense of control and layers of juicy freshness help balance the opulence with refinement. Clearly confident and charismatic, fans of this style will delight with Solaia in 2020. Made by Renzo Cotarella, Stefano Caraneto and Pietro Dogliani. - Georgina Hindle (at Bordeaux, 01 Aug 2023)

THE WINE ADVOCATE RP 96
Drink Date: 2024 - 2045
Inky dark in appearance, the 2020 Solaia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller percentages of Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. This vintage unfolds to exuberant richness and thick layers of blackberry and plum. The tannins are sweet and expertly crafted, adding both depth and fruit weight. The 2020 vintage is quite bold, and it plays its best cards in terms of texture and mouthfeel. It’s a bigger, more accessible wine compared to the last two vintages on the market. Spice, toasted coffee bean and more dark fruit color this full-bodied Tuscan red.

One of the biggest news stories to hit fine wine this year is the full acquisition of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in Napa by Tuscany’s Marchesi Antinori in May 2023. The Antinori family enjoyed a 16-year partnership with the celebrated winery founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970. It is now the full owner. The announcement was made by the Antinori family and long-time USA partner Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, which has a portfolio of wines in the American Northwest (Washington and Oregon). Marchesi Antinori is the only Italian company to own a winery in Napa. Marchese Piero Antinori first traveled to California’s wine country in the 1960s and fell in love. In 1985, his family started making wine in Napa (with the company known as Antica, which is short for “Antinori in California”). “It is an honor for me and my family to make good on a promise made to my friend Warren Winiarski 16 years ago,” says Marchese Piero Antinori. “We wanted to safeguard the values and the heritage of the prestigious Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars.” The Stag’s Leap 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon was singled out in the celebrated Judgement of Paris in 1976 that pitted the best of Californian wine against Bordeaux. It sparked a revolution in the world of fine wine. - Monica Larner