SOLDERA 2018 VINTAGE

2018 VINTAGE

EXCLUSIVE TO C&B IN ASIA ( Exc TAIWAN, JAPAN, KOREA AND PHILIPPINES)

“After trying unsuccessfully for years to find land in Piedmont, Soldera chanced upon a magical piece of ground in Montalcino. At the time, the prevailing wisdom on vineyards dictated that the best sites were south-facing, as these were the warmest sites. Back then the issue was achieving full ripeness. But Soldera had a different philosophy. He chased luminosity above all else. And so Case Basse was ideal. The west-facing site was perfectly suited to capturing the entirety of the day’s sunlight”

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com

INTRODUCTION

We went to Case Basse at the end of August 2022, to see Monica Soldera and her husband Paolo Franco to taste the 2018 vintage.

It was my first trip back to Montalcino and to Italy after Covid, since September 2019. Will Hargrove was with me, Corney & Barrow’s official Italian specialist, Head of Fine Wine for C&B and a very dedicated member of the board of the Hong Kong company.

We were greeted by Monica and Paolo, whilst a small team was busy at the sorting table, finalising the selection, berry by berry, to fill the 3 large botti used for vinifcation. The 2022 vintage had been harvested over the previous 2 days. Monica and Paolo had decided the moment was right and were pleased with their decision. They were happy with the quality and quantity of this year’s crop and we tasted the grape must which was starting to ferment. We will not taste the result before another 5 to 6 years.

We then tasted the 2019 and 2020 from cask - two vintages that are still in their infancy yet show real promise, being from two solar vintages. But for now, let’s talk about Soldera 2018; the outstanding result of a cool year, where all the mastery of the team at Soldera has produced a seductive wine.

THIBAUT MATHIEU Managing Director - Corney & Barrow Asia

BACKGROUND TO THE ESTATE

During the 1960s, Gianfranco Soldera was an insurance broker in Milan, a role he continued alongside wine until 2003. There had been a family history in wine however: his grandfather made wine near Treviso, where Gianfranco was born, and there were winemakers on his mother’s side. Having earned enough to purchase a vineyard, Gianfranco scoured Italy for land where he and his wife Graziella could produce world class wine. Importantly, it was not just wine, but world class wine which was the remit from the outset. He simply would never have settled for anything less.

After looking at the Veneto, Piedmont (a region he loved) and the rest of Tuscany, they discovered an abandoned farmhouse in Montalcino. The surrounding land was considered unsuitable for vines. Gianfranco disagreed –

something he was never afraid to do. Absolutely convinced by the potential of the soil and the aspect, he promptly acquired the property, this was 1972. He started from scratch, planting only Sangiovese.

The first wines were made in 1975, the first “commercial” release being the 1977 vintage. The wine was almost always bottled as a Brunello Riserva, with a few exceptions, until changing to “Toscana IGT Soldera Case Basse 100% Sangiovese” from 2006*. The only other wines/labels released were “Pegasos” in 2005 when one cask matured precociously and “Intistieti” in 1985, ‘87, ‘88, ‘91 and ‘92 which was a “table wine” (in reality anything but humble!) made from the youngest vines.

*there were bottlings of 2006 under both “Brunello” and “Toscana Sangiovese”

THE VINEYARD

An important early alliance (from 1976) was with the winemaker Giulio Gambelli, “il grande maestro del Sangiovese”.

Gambelli continued to consult at Case Basse until his death in 2012. The two men discovered common ground, both ideologically and more prosaically on such topics as minimal intervention, lack of temperature control, no added yeasts, long maceration on skins and long ageing in large Slavonian botti.

Although the estate is referred to as Case Basse, the name of the Azienda Agricola, it is composed of two vineyards, Case Basse and Intistieti, of which Case Basse is the smaller. The vineyards lie on the southern side of Montalcino, facing southwest. They are separated by some 400 metres. Case Basse, covering two hectares and planted in 1972, is about ten metres higher in elevation than Intistieti, which is twice the size at four hectares and was planted in 1973.

The planting density is around 3,300 vines per hectare, the vines being planted on limestone and schist. Gianfranco went to great lengths to foster a symbiotic relationship between the vines and their surroundings. The vineyards are set within eight hectares of woodlands, with Graziella’s wonderful two-hectare garden adjacent

to the estate buildings (complete with a panoply of bees, which rise from the ankle-level lavender rather alarmingly as you brush past it).

Case Basse was and is constantly evolving as Gianfranco and now Monica and family look for ways in which to encourage a bird- and insect-rich environment. Oat straw is scattered between the vines, revitalising the soil, allowing it to breathe and protecting the roots. Totally organic, Gianfranco was convinced that foreign agents ultimately end up in the wine. The vines themselves are tended to with extraordinary attention to detail. Everything is done by hand, pruning hard and short in winter, with a further green pruning during the season. The vines are cordontrained (a mixture of single and double cordons) and spurpruned. The canes are allowed to grow as long as they can, unimpeded, Gianfranco believed that they should never be cut. Indeed, in the entrance to the cellar, there is a wallmounted cane of vast proportions as a clear statement of best practice. 118 leaves and 300 grams of grapes per cane is the average. Paolo, Monica’s husband, spent many years in the vineyards working with Gianfranco and it is Paolo who is now very much the man in the vines and cellar.

THE CELLAR

The tiny yields in some vintages certainly bear this out. In contrast, there is an almost total absence of intervention in vinification. The extraordinary cellar, 14 metres below ground, designed by architect Stefano Lambardi and built in 2001, has a real beauty in its simplicity. It is completely cement and plaster free, the walls having been built with stones wedged into wire netting. This is all to allow the building to breathe and the wine to mature even more slowly than in the past. The wine is bottled unfiltered, direct from the botti, the absence of an intermediary holding tank meaning there may well be some variation between different bottlings (for further intrigue). Gianfranco would not have had it any other way. The bottles, unique to Soldera, have been chosen for optimal wine conservation, dark in colour to protect against the light, long-necked in order to take supreme quality corks. Once bottled, the wine is given time to acclimatise. The label features a dolphin, sacred to Dionysus (Bacchus for the Romans), god of wine and fertility, which is also to be found in statue form in the centre of Graziella’s wonderful garden.

Gianfranco was clear that great wine is made through ruthless, sometimes maniacal selection in the vineyard.

WHEN AND HOW TO DRINK SOLDERA

I feel strongly, and more so every year, that the many different ways (though the more sensitive school is winning out thankfully) in which “Brunello” is made can lead to some popular misconceptions that should not be applied to Soldera. Gianfranco was always very definite on how his wines should be served. The wine should always be served cool, at what one might refer to as cellar temperature, allowing time to open and evolve. It should not be decanted. If a decanter must be used for an older bottle then it should be as narrow and near to bottleshaped as possible. Gianfranco also designed his own glasses. He believed that glasses should not be too wide.

Personally, I feel the biggest missed opportunity occurs when people assume these are bold, rich wines that need to be aged for extended time; Gianfranco believed the bottles should be stored upright not lying down (assuming good humidity). They do age exceptionally well but to not drink these wines in youth, as well as with age, is an error. A great wine is always a great wine and that is never truer than here. Soldera wines have amongst the broadest drinking windows of any wines I know. It was well summed it up in the 2006 offer: “Tasting these wines one can only marvel at their complexity, their ability to be luscious, weightless, elegant, refined and yet powerful. They have subliminal authority and intensity.” This may seem a patronising title for a section of this offer. It is not meant to be. Wines this great are rare and maximising enjoyment is everything.

I make no apologies for repeating the below again:

“A great wine should always be paired with great food, without limits”

Gianfranco Soldera

THE 2018 VINTAGE

The precision found in the bottle, is not only a thing about the wine. It is everything at Soldera.

The vintage technical sheet, included in each case of wine, is a perfect example of this philosophy. It contains all the information necessary to understand the vintage.

While reading through the 2018 vintage report, it is staggering how Mother Nature is capricious, from one year to another, keeping winemakers on their feet to produce a great wine each year. The soil and the vines are also a key element. They are the 16th (and 17th) man, to re-use a sentence often heard around rugby fields.

2018 could not be more different than 2017, almost polar opposite. Yet, in the end, both years produced a similar small crop resulting in 11,547 bottles in 2018 and 11,149 bottles the year before. Both harvests were picked at optimal ripeness, but almost 4 weeks later in 2018 (on the 3rd of October). It was on the 26th of August in 2017. I say same level of ripeness because Soldera reports 10g/L of glycerol in 2018 and 9g/L for 2017. This is the indicator of the body and softness of the wine.

2018 was a wet year, over the annual average, while temperatures were on the annual average. 2017 was on the contrary very hot and dry. Both years required sorting heavily in the vineyard, throughout the growing season, then at harvest and also at the sorting table. In 2018, the vineyard team had to arrange the canopy to facilitate the circulation of the wind, to remove excess moisture. In 2017, it was about protecting the grapes from sunburn.

Monica and Paolo insist on the importance of manual work in the vineyard and draw on scientific data from analysis to refrain from intervention during the season and let Nature do its job.

The work in the winery was classic, with limited intervention during the winemaking and ageing process, to produce the most authentic and pure expression of Sangiovese in Montalcino. In 2018 the alcoholic fermentation lasted about 3 weeks and the wine was aged for 44 months in large Slavonian botti, 3 months than shorter than the year before.

Soldera is the result of a clever blend of precision and natural processes. A self-effacing winemaker that allows the soil and vines to shine through.

SOLDERA 2018

Opening the bottle and preparing to taste I am struck by vibrant floral red fruits even before I get near the glass. As I then nose the wine the fruit is a shade darker and more berried. The colour, I nearly forgot in the excitement, is pale transparent red. This is never a dark wine, contradicting the extrovert personality. Coming back to the nose this is simply gorgeous, red berries with a little spice and then a dash of grey pepper as the fruit comes through a shade darker at the end. The depth is matched by a floral element and even a slight citrus lift, this is quite something. The texture is so moreish, the tannins silky but there, the acidity so enlivening. I simply can’t wait to experience (as that is what it is) this again. Superb!

Corney & Barrow Score 18.5 - 19+

Recommended drinking from 2026 - 2036+

Will Hargrove tasted from bottle – 17.05.23

Price On Application

THE ALLOCATION

How many bottles should I order?

The answer is my honest belief and backed by experience. You should ask for what you will be happy to hold in your collection and drink in the years to come having in mind that our allocation is sold out each release. This wine is addictive and when you have your first sip, you will be hooked. So get some while you can! While Gianfranco is no longer around, the wine remains true to what it is. Soldera is still made with only the best bunches from the two vineyards sites (Case Basse and Intistieti) and aged slowly & patiently in the underground cellar, in large botti, until the family deems the vintage ready to be released. Gianfranco was a chef d’orchestre helping a vineyard, a grape variety and Mother Nature to produce the best expression of the Sangiovese. He had surrounded himself with a team who knows the tune by heart and the new Conduttore, Monica is carrying this task brilliantly.

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Paolo Franco, Monica Soldera & Thibaut

Thibaut visiting Soldera in August 2022

Not much had changed since my last visit, apart from the Soldera signpost which I could not remember. As we drove past the gate and along the vines, both Will and I had the same reaction: where were the bunches? We could not see any hanging on the vines. It was all the more shocking than the other estates we had visited the day before, who were a good 3 weeks away from harvest.

Once out of the rental car, we were greeted by Monica and Paolo, whilst a small team was busy at the sorting table, finalising the selection, berry by berry, to fill the 3 large botti used for vinifcation. The 2022 vintage had been harvested over the previous 2 days. Monica and Paolo had decided the moment was right and were pleased with their decision. They were happy with quality and quantity of this year’s crop and we tasted the grape must which was starting to ferment. We will not taste the result before another 5 to 6 years.

As I write this, it strikes me that Soldera has always been ahead of the curve. The decisions they take in the vineyard and in the cellar do not follow a trend. Gianfranco was always ahead of the game because of his experience with his vines, further backed by the findings of scientific studies (often commissioned by himself). He also had this natural inclination to question habits and comfort. While many producers in Burgundy refrain from cutting their canes and use a high trellised system of vine training, Soldera adopted this practice ages ago. He has also favoured large and used botti for fermentation and ageing, as well as indigenous yeast and no temperature control at fermentation. That day, we realised another point: Case Basse and Intistieti are two unique vineyards and sites which can’t be replicated. Gianfranco was visionary enough to recognise their natural quality in 1972 and 1973. Soldera will always be unique.

THIBAUT MATHIEU Managing Director - Corney & Barrow Asia

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