2016 Solaia

Fruit-cake thick and spiced and malty. Doesn't quite seem to have the grace of the 2015, nor quite the persistence. Glossy texture. Super-young, so time will tell. (RH)

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.

73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, 7% Cabernet Franc. After a late autumn and winter, that was on the whole rather mild and rainy, the spring of 2016 began with excellent weather in Chianti Classico, favouring a budbreak ten days in advance of seasonal averages. There was rain during May and the first half of June, after which it was warm and dry and without temperature peaks up until the end of August. Cultivation conditions for maintaining balance between vegetative production and the grapes were excellent. The period of picking was regular, with occasional rains alternating with sun and wind. These conditions allowed for ideal ripening of the three grape varieties planted in the Solaia vineyard. The Sangiovese harvest began during the last week of September. The Cabernet Franc was picked from 28 September to 1 October, while the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest took place from the 3 to 12 October. Purplish crimson. Lifted, fragrant, very obviously Cabernet nose. Much more bordelais in fact than the Caiarossa. Sinewy and refreshing. Rather sophisticated and finishes bone dry. Food and time needed again. (JR)