2021 Marchesi Antinori Solaia Toscana IGT, Tuscany

Sophisticated and full of finesse. Medium- to full-bodied with racy, super silky tannins that go on for minutes. Blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of graphite and lead pencil. Such beautiful tannins. Racy and fine. Give it five or six years before drinking.

98 points jamessuckling.com

All said and done, the Marchesi Antinori 2021 Solaia is a monument to perfect winemaking. This coiffed supermodel does not show a single hair follicle out of place. However, it doesn't quite have the same sex appeal of the Tignanello. In my conversations with Estate Manager Renzo Cotarella during this tasting, it was expressed this way: "Tignanello is unexpected. Solaia is expected." Whereas Tignanello is a wine of vertical lift and energy, Solaia is a wine of lasting power. The wine offers generous depth and layering with soft tannins and some of the spicy pink peppercorn you get from the 9% Cabernet Franc (added to 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Sangiovese). The finish is extremely velvety and soft, but I notice that the flavors seem to become sweeter and riper the longer this wine stays in the glass. This newest release will hit the market in September.

97 points Monica Larner robertparker.com

Marchesi Antinori General Manager Renzo Cotarella tells me that 2021 is the best vintage he has ever overseen. Ever. He prefers it to recent classics like 2016 and 2010. There was frost in the spring, and the growing cycle was very long. This is something that most grapes, and especially Sangiovese, need in order to exhibit aromatic depth and flavor complexity. "This is an exceptional year," he says, citing the inner energy certainly exhibited by the wines from 2021.

I agree, mostly, but not unequivocally. I love the precision and tension inherent to these wines, but I didn't encounter that same breathless vertical lift and linearity that I remember so well in 2016, for example. That was a vintage that managed to effortlessly balance both power and elegance, which is by no means an easy feat. To me, 2021 has the elegance but not the same piercing power that you only get in cooler vintages when sugar and phenolic ripening line up seamlessly. So, while I love these wines, especially the Chianti Classico Riserva Marchese Antinori and the outstanding Tignanello, my money is still on 2016 as the better vintage, speaking generally. But zoom in on one wine and my money is on the 2021 Tignanello over everything else.

Monica Larner robertparker.com

Marchesi Antinori Solaia Toscana IGT is one of Italy’s most iconic and collectible wines, a Super Tuscan masterpiece that embodies luxury, precision and the deep heritage of the Antinori family. Produced from a single vineyard on the sun-drenched Tenuta Tignanello estate in the heart of Chianti Classico, Solaia is a bold yet refined red crafted from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese, with the proportions varying slightly each vintage to reflect the best expression of the site.

The Solaia vineyard lies on limestone-rich soils at 350 to 400 metres above sea level, with excellent exposure and drainage, allowing for slow, even ripening and full flavour development. First created in 1978 as a bold experiment, the wine is now a global benchmark for Italian excellence. Winemaking is led by chief enologist Renzo Cotarella, who combines meticulous vineyard management with state-of-the-art techniques. Fermentation takes place in conical stainless-steel tanks, followed by malolactic fermentation and ageing for 18 to 24 months in new French oak barrels.

Solaia opens with layered aromas of cassis, dark cherry, violet, tobacco, graphite, vanilla and dried herbs. The palate is plush and deeply concentrated, with ripe black fruits, polished tannins, and a vibrant acid backbone that gives tension and length. It is structured for the long haul but already seductively aromatic and textural.

Pair with bistecca alla Fiorentina, venison with black truffle, or a wild mushroom and porcini ragu over pappardelle. It also shines with aged Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Toscano. This wine will cellar for 20 years or more, evolving into something truly extraordinary.