Solaia Antinori

Solaia is a 10-hectare vineyard of the Tignanello estate, owned by the Antinori family, from which a great wine comes from, a great wine made mostly with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. In this particular cru, called Solaia thanks to its peculiar exposure and its soil profile that is poor, stoney and calcareous, the Cabernet Sauvignon can reach levels of ripeness which are rare to reach in the Italian territory, delivering extraordinary results. The harvest starts in the middle of September with the Cabernet Franc, then Sangiovese and finally the Cabernet Sauvignon in end of October. The bunches are selected in the vineyard first and then brought to the winery for the delicate de-stemming and selection of the bunches, which is carried out by hand on a selection table. The fermentation takes place in cone tanks at a controlled temperature for a period of time that can change depending on the year and the grape variety in order to obtain the right balance for each vintage and grape varieties. Solaia ages in French and Hungarian oak barriques for 18 months during which the malolactic fermentation takes place. Afterwards the best barriques are blended together and then bottled.