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Reviews

100 -Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -

I fussed over scoring this wine more than I'd like to admit—tasting through three samples under different conditions at various intervals and testing my impressions blind against wines in its peer group. Most importantly, I tasted this 2016 vintage against the 2015 vintage over and over again. I confess to a few nights of restless sleep as a result. Ultimately, my decision to award 100 points to the 2016 Solaia came on impulse and with the most natural sense of purpose. I had also given the 2015 vintage a perfect score, and intellectually, it seemed impossible not to pick a favorite among these two stunning expressions. I will also state, outright, that the wines are very different, principally because the 2015 vintage shows more overall opulence and sweetness that extends to the pronounced textural richness of the mouthfeel. The 2016 vintage, on the other hand, is more chiseled and sharp with mineral shadings of campfire ash and graphite at the rim of its dark fruit. The mouthfeel is more streamlined and tight at its core, suggesting that the wine will unfold and soften beautifully with time. I feel like 2015 is the Dolce & Gabbana of the situation and the 2016 is the Armani Privé. The personalities of the two wines are distinct, yet my admiration for each is identical.

100 -James Suckling -

Speechless here. I thought the 2015 was already perfect but this is perfect, too. But in a different way. It is so structured and multidimensional. Full-bodied, powerful and intense with incredible tannin backbone and depth. The dark-berry, wet-earth, oyster-shell and mushroom flavors are phenomenal. 20% less production than 2015. Give it four or five years to come together. Try after 2025.

99 -Vinous -

The 2016 Solaia (magnum) brings the evening to a rousing finish. It is a rich, explosive Solaia endowed with tremendous depth and energy. A rush of black cherry, espresso, licorice, mocha and French oak builds effortlessly. The 2016 is a grand, sweeping Solaia that will take years to be at its finest. It's the sort of wine that really makes you think about the future. I can't think of a better way to wrap things up.

98 -Wine Spectator -

This red leads off with a slight oaky edge, featuring vanilla and resin accents that meld with the black cherry and blackberry fruit flavors on the palate. This is all about purity and finesse, featuring a vibrant structure that fits harmoniously with the flavors. Cedar, iron, tobacco and fruit elements converge on the finish, which is very long, fresh and satisfying. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2040. 500 cases imported.

98 -Falstaff -

98 -The Wine Independent -

The 2016 Marchesi Antinori Solaia has a denser core of cool, woodland, black-berried fruit and is a little less sunny and exuberant in personality than the 2015. The flavors and aromas remind me of the woods and green trees that are so much a part of the Chianti Classico landscape. It is dense and concentrated and, in some ways, looks like a super-refined version of the 2010 Solaia with its cool, dark vintage feel and firm muscular but refined structure. The 2016 vintage was a more classic vintage, almost ideal, with a longer growing season and big diurnal temperature differences in the early autumn. This wine is a beautiful reflection of that vintage.

97 -Wine Enthusiast -

Aromas of cassis, warm spice and camphor form the nose. Made with 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 7% Cabernet Franc, the vibrant, linear palate shows great finesse, offering cranberry, blueberry and crushed mint alongside white pepper. It's smooth and balanced, with bright acidity and polished tannins. The best is yet to come, so hold for more complexity. Drink 2023–2036.

95 -Decanter -

First produced in 1978, Solaia comes from a 20-hectare south- to southeast-facing plot at Antinori's prized Tignanello estate. The stony, well-drained soil is a mix of galestro and alberese. Coconut, black tea and ripe blackberry are interlaced with a fragrant herbal and earthy undertow. It is a bit austere at the moment but the acidity is positively racy. Velvety-smooth tannins are seamlessly integrated and the finish is jam-packed. This will need a few years to come around.

Technical Details

Blend 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, 7% Cabernet Franc
Winemaker Renzo Cotarella
Country Italy
Region Tuscany
Appellation Tuscany
Vineyard Solaia Vineyard
Farming Method Certified Sustainable
Oak 60-gallon new French oak barrels
Aging / Cooperage 15 months; aged separately by lot for the first 10 months
Alcohol 13.9%

Marchesi Antinori Solaia Toscana 2016

Name: Marchesi Antinori Solaia Toscana 2016
Brand: First Bottle
SKU: 1014648
Price: 359.0 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

Super Tuscan Blends | Tuscany

WA100, JS100, VN99, WS98, FS98, TWI98, WE97, DC95

SPECIAL: Complimentary Ground Shipping!

Certified Sustainable

$650.00

$359.00

44% OFF RETAIL!

DOUBLE 100 POINTS from one of the most historic producers in all of Italy, this 2016 vintage of Antinori’s revered Solaia is a collectible gem that is worthy of a spot in any collection. We have fewer than FOUR cases available, so don’t hesitate to make this the newest star in your portfolio!

The Antinori family has made wine in the picturesque rolling hills of Tuscany for nearly 700 years. Solaia is the family’s most legendary “Super-Tuscan” bottling, with the 2016 vintage composed mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by 20% Sangiovese and 7% Cabernet Franc. The fruit hails from the sunniest and most exposed part of the legendary hillside of Tignanello, tucked in the heart of the Chianti Classico region.

This is at the top of the most highly coveted vintages of one of the rarest wines available from Tuscany, described as "the most influential wine in the history of Italian viticulture." As we can attest, the complexity, power, and finesse of the 2016 is simply astounding. Marchesi Piero Antinori marks Solaia as an ongoing challenge and a never-ending passion of the people who dedicate their lives to the creation of this singular wine – and the world of wine can attest to the heralded status of this great bottling.

“Speechless here. I thought the 2015 was already perfect but this is perfect, too. But in a different way. It is so structured and multidimensional. Full-bodied, powerful and intense with incredible tannin backbone and depth.” –James Suckling

The 2016 vintage is as fully loaded as they come – with the ability to age over the decades, and a decidedly Tuscan flare to the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wine. Aromas of black cherries, black berries, black plum, and cassis, with flecks of lavender and licorice to lead things off, followed by spicebox flavors of clove, and star anise, with savory notes of sun-ripened red cherries, and cedar, graphite, and fresh mint. A bit of peppercorn and warm spices pops on the finish, and the dry, structured finality of the wine demonstrates a clear need to give patience here. As Wine & Spirits’ 99-point review so accurately puts it, “this wine is sheer elegance, its precise flavors and lifted aromas creating a thrill factor that is impossible to resist.” It’s got a long and beautiful life to come, to be certain, and has just entered its absolute prime drinking window.

Double 100 points here, and a bevy of even more glowing scores from all the big critics! We don’t have much – but a wine of this pedigree is sure to catch the eye of every Italian collector on the web. Move with purpose, and you will be rewarded!

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