Marchesi Antinori Solaia 2016

Marchesi Antinori Solaia 2016 is a monumentally structured, benchmark Super Tuscan red wine crafted from the famous 20-hectare southwest-facing Solaia vineyard, located on the Tenuta Tignanello estate in the heart of Chianti Classico. Aged for approximately 18 months in new French oak barrels, it displays an intense, deep ruby-purple color with an exceptionally complex and pristine bouquet of blackcurrant, dark plum, wild blueberry, and graphite, seamlessly integrated with notes of dark chocolate, sweet tobacco, crushed violets, and Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, it exhibits extraordinary focus, weight, and refinement, offering ultra-fine, velvety tannins and a vibrant line of acidity that carries its concentrated core of dark fruit into a remarkably persistent, mineral-driven finish.

Food Pairing: Pairs magnificently with Bistecca alla Fiorentina, roasted rack of lamb, braised beef short ribs, wild boar ragù, or well-aged Pecorino Toscano cheese.

100 Points - James Suckling

Speechless here. I thought the 2015 was already perfect but this is perfect, too. But in a different way. It is so structured and multidimensional. Full-bodied, powerful and intense with incredible tannin backbone and depth. The dark-berry, wet-earth, oyster-shell and mushroom flavors are phenomenal. 20% less production than 2015. Give it four or five years to come together. Try after 2025.

100 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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.