Marchesi Antinori, Solaia, 2023 - Magnum
Marchesi Antinori, Solaia, 2023 - Magnum
- 150cl
- 14%
- Red Still
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese
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Drinking window: 2030 - 2055
Est. delivery in 2027
Solaia is Antinori's flagship single-vineyard Cabernet, made from the sun-drenched hillside parcel above Tignanello in the Chianti Classico hills. It's a Tuscan wine with a Napa-length ambition and a Roman sense of occasion: roughly 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc and a touch of Sangiovese to keep it honest.
The 2023 vintage brought warm, dry conditions that gave the fruit extraordinary ripeness while retaining the structural grip that defines great Solaia.
What the critics say:
"Solaia sings in 2023. It's supremely vertical with already-integrated sandy tannins, its tall frame adorned with crunchy, sapid forest berries, chocolate, menthol, iodine and floral top notes. Generous and finessed, it's drinking surprisingly well at this early stage and will continue to prosper for the next two decades at least."
"A big Solaia with lots of fruit and spices as well as mint and spearmint. Aromatic. Full-bodied with lots of fruit and chewy tannins. Muscular and juicy for a modern Solaia. Needs three to four years of age to come together. Best after 2028."
The Solaia vineyard sits on a single south-west-facing hillside at around 350 metres above sea level, immediately adjacent to the Tignanello plot on the San Casciano estate in the Chianti Classico hills. The soils are predominantly galestro — the crumbly, schistous limestone rock that drains brilliantly and forces vines to work hard — alongside alberese clay, which adds structure and retains just enough moisture during dry summers. The altitude moderates temperatures significantly, preserving acidity and freshness in a region that can tip toward excess ripeness in warmer vintages. It is this combination of stress and restraint in the vineyard that gives Solaia its precision.
Solaia is classified as a Toscana IGT — the Indicazione Geografica Tipica designation that paradoxically became the home of Tuscany's most ambitious and expensive wines. The IGT category was created partly to accommodate producers who wanted to use non-traditional grape varieties or ageing methods that fell outside the stricter DOC and DOCG rules. In Solaia's case, the Cabernet-dominant blend would disqualify it from Chianti Classico DOCG classification, so IGT is not a demotion but a choice. It sits alongside Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Tignanello in the elite tier of Tuscan IGTs that effectively invented their own category.
The 2023 vintage in Tuscany delivered precisely what nobody expected after a challenging start. Spring brought excessive rainfall that had growers fretting about disease pressure, whilst a scorching July tested even the most experienced vignerons. Yet August's return to more moderate temperatures, combined with crucial diurnal temperature swings, allowed the vines to regain their composure just when it mattered most. The harvest stretched longer than usual, with producers able to pick at optimal ripeness rather than racing against the clock.
What emerged from the cellars shows Tuscany's remarkable ability to transform adversity into opportunity. The Sangiovese displays a freshness we haven't seen in recent warm years, with that characteristic cherry brightness sitting beautifully alongside more structured tannins. Super Tuscans from the coast fared particularly well, where maritime influences helped moderate the summer extremes. These aren't blockbuster wines built for decades of cellaring, but rather Tuscan reds with an approachable charm that makes them dangerously drinkable now whilst still having the backbone to reward five to eight years of patience.
