The Antinori family has been making wine since 1385, when Giovanni di Piero Antinori became a member of the Florentine Winemakers’ Guild. Six centuries and 26 generations later, this impressive lineage has been channeled into a cutting edge winery in the Tuscan heartland that celebrates Marchesi Antinori’s heritage and expertise, whilst setting the standard for modern winemaking.
93 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Solaia has been one of Italy’s most brilliant wines since the early eighties. Made in a Bordeaux-like style, it will age for two decades or more. The 1998, a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, and 5% Cabernet Franc (8,000 cases), was aged for 14 months in new and one-year old French oak casks prior to being bottled without filtration. Yields were a low 30 hectoliters per hectare. The 1998 is a classically-structured, dense, full-bodied, youthful, well-balanced wine designed for cellaring. Its opaque ruby/purple color is accompanied by a classic bouquet of black currants, vanillin, earth, tobacco, and a touch of mint. Full-bodied, moderately tannic, dense, and concentrated, this backward 1998 needs 3-4 years of cellaring.