Lot presentation

Toscana IGT Solaia Tenuta Tignanello - Marchesi Antinori 2003

The wine

Solaia is a 10 ha south-west facing Tuscan vineyard located at an altitude of 350 to 400 metres in the province of Tignanello. Like Tignanello, Solaia is the work of Piero Antinori, whose family lies at the heart of Tuscany's international reputation notably due to Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Unlike Tignanello, Solaia comprises more Cabernet than it does Sangiovese. But this Tuscan Cabernet stands out from its Bordeaux counterpart, as the 1997 vintage was voted the best wine in the world by the Wine Spectator. The wine is only produced in exceptional years and is processed with the utmost care. It spends the last stages of the fermentation process in barrels of French oak and is blended and aged for a year. Boasting an intense ruby colour, it features a delicate, expressive and menthol nose. Its structure features fruit and delicate tannins, producing a wonderful acidity that hints at excellent ageing.

About the Producer Antinori

Antinori. This name is unlikely to be unfamiliar, much as “Baron de Rothschild” would be in France. This true Italian dynasty had been producing wine since 1385.
The family which can trace its history back to 1179 when Accarisio di Antinoro bought land from the Abbey of Passignano. Badia a Passignano is still one of a number of domains
The family which can trace its history back to 1179 when Accarisio di Antinoro bought land from the Abbey of Passignano. Badia a Passignano is still one of a number of estates found in the group today. The Antinori family’s arrival in Florence marked the starting point of their social and economic rise – through the silk and wine trade, political and artistic involvement, and close ties with the Medici. Their wines began to gain recognition under an identifiable brand, to be exported, and to attract acclaim, notably with a jury prize at the Vienna World Exhibition in 1873. Driven by creativity and ingenuity, successive generations of the family consistently pushed boundaries, both in production and in commercial strategy.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the family participated in the Super Tuscan revolution – age-worthy wines in the style of the finest Bordeaux – and in their worldwide distribution through landmark wines such as Tignanello and Solaia.
Today, after 26 generations, the story continues with Albiera Antinori who is supported by his sisters, Allegra et Alessia, following their father, Marchese Piero Antinori.
The Italian estates are: TENUTA TIGNANELLO, BADIA A PASSIGNANO, PèPPOLI, ANTINORI NEL CHIANTI CLASSICO, PIAN DELLE VIGNE, TENUTA GUADO AL TASSO, CASTELLO DELLA SALA, MARCHESE ANTINORI – TENUTA MONTENISA, VILLA ANTINORI. The family also has vines outside of Italy in Chili, USA, Hungary, Romania and Malta.