ANTINORI
TOSCANA ROSSO IGT "SOLAIA" 2012 - ANTINORI
TOSCANA ROSSO IGT "SOLAIA" 2012 - ANTINORI
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Denomination : Toscana Rosso IGT
Vintage : 2012
Alcohol : 13.5%
Region : Tuscany (Italy)
Format : 0.75 l
Grapes : Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Sangiovese 20%
Climate
Season characterized by a mild and pleasant autumn, with average temperatures and little rainfall. Winter with cold temperatures and adequate rainfall at the time of the year. Spring began with a rather dry and cool climate, so much so that the important stages of budding and especially of flowering took place with a slight delay compared to the average of past years; the months of April and May, on the other hand, guaranteed good rainfall, which was essential to sustain the long summer drought which, starting from June and until the entire month of August, affected the development of plants, both in leaf walls than in the size and weight of the bunches. The long-awaited rains of the last days of August were fundamental to rebalance the plants, allowing all varieties to continue the ripening processes regularly. The months of September and October, both mild and rather rainy, allowed the grapes to evolve both in sugar, aromatic and phenolic ripeness; the harvests were concentrated between 25 September and 10 October, requiring careful and precise manual selections on the bunches at the time of harvest in the vineyard and on the berries along the sorting tables before pressing.
Vinification
The climatic conditions of 2012 required an important and careful selection work, both during the growing season and during the harvest; the grapes in Solaia are harvested exclusively by hand and separately by variety, but also according to the many different variables linked to the terroir, and therefore to the conditions of the soil, the differences in altitude of the parcels and the different expressions linked to maturation. Upon arrival in the cellar, the grapes are delicately de-stemmed and the berries, before being pressed, are carefully selected at the sorting table; here the attention to detail is maximum, it is essential that only the perfect grapes enter the conical winemaking tank of 60 hl. During fermentation and maceration the musts are slowly transformed into wine; in a vintage like this, extreme care is required to maintain freshness and aromas, without neglecting the extraction of color and tannin management aimed at sweetness and elegance; all this requires great sensitivity, knowledge of the grapes and constant care of the product, which is led to racking only after careful and daily tastings. Once the skins and the wine have been separated, the malolactic fermentation begins which, in barriques, enhances the finesse and pleasantness of the wine. The aging process then begins, which lasts approximately 18 months, in new French oak barrels. During this period the different batches, vinified separately according to the variety and the viticultural variables, are raised in wood, to then be assembled a few months before bottling, which takes place on the farm.
Historical data
Solaia is a vineyard of about 20 hectares facing south-west between 350 and 400 meters above sea level on a rocky limestone soil with alberese and galestro rock, located at Tenuta Tignanello. The Antinori family produced this wine for the first time with the 1978 vintage; the initial blend was 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, which was repeated in 1979. In subsequent years a 20% Sangiovese was introduced and some corrections were made in the ratio between Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, up to get to the current composition. Solaia is only produced in exceptional vintages and was not produced in 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1992.
Tasting Notes
Intense ruby red color with violet reflections, the nose dominates the varietal notes with excellent freshness and a fine intensity. Solaia 2012 has a classic style and is characterized in the mouth by a pleasant gustatory harmony, composed of a correct acid-tannic balance and an excellent enjoyment of the fruit for the entire duration of the tasting. The great personality and the long presence of aftertaste make the finish absolutely complex and persistent.
Awards to the Vintage
James Suckling 97/100 USA
