Antinori Solaia IGT 75cl 2019 Wine

The 2019 growing season in Chianti Classico was characterized by regular weather, with a rather cold winter and little rainfall and a cool, rainy early spring, especially in April and May. The summer was warm, without excessive heat, and marked by slightly above-average rainfall, which allowed for proper growth of both the foliage and the grapes. Beginning in late August and throughout September and October, the optimal climate allowed for the perfect ripening of the three grape varieties grown in the Solaia vineyard. The grapes were harvested from late September, beginning with the Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese, until the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest, which concluded on October 14th.

Careful attention was paid both in the vineyard during harvest and in the cellar, where the grapes were destemmed and carefully selected on the sorting table before being gently pressed, before being gravity-fed into the tanks. It is essential that only perfect grapes reach the 60-hectare conical vinification tanks. During fermentation and maceration, utmost attention was paid to maintaining the correct balance between the fruit and the quality of the tannins, giving the wine sweetness and fragrance as well as identity and character. Malolactic fermentation began immediately after racking, enhancing the complexity and pleasantness of the wine in barriques. The aging process took place in new French oak barrels for approximately 18 months. After an initial period of aging in separate lots, they were assembled to complete their evolution in wood.

Solaia is a vineyard of approximately 20 hectares with a southwest exposure, located at 350 to 400 meters above sea level on rocky limestone soils of alberese and galestro rock, located at Tenuta Tignanello. The Antinori family produced this wine for the first time in 1978; the initial blend was 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, a formula repeated in 1979. In subsequent years, 20% Sangiovese was introduced and some adjustments were made to the Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc ratio, resulting in the current blend. Solaia is produced only in exceptional years and was not produced in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, and 1992.