A Note from Sergio in Italy
In the last two weeks, I've been to Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna, Le Marche, Tuscany and Liguria. I've been getting to know the inside of my Fiat Punto with the intimacy I like to reserve for my pillow. Needless to say, I've had a lot of time to reflect on why I'm not happy to sit back and wait for reviewer scores to select and sell wines. It really all comes down to my unshakable belief that Italy has the greatest array of diverse and beautiful wines in the world that are yet to be discovered.
My life choice is predicated on the idea that wine isn't just for special occasions, but a really special wine can turn an ordinary meal into an extraordinary experience. It can lift your spirit and enrich your soul. When we at IWM are allowed to educate someone, or help them assemble their wine purchases, we keep in mind the privilege and the obligation of delivering a well-balanced experience. We sell many wines that deliver an alchemical experience; orange-colored whites, almost-pink reds that fool by packing a wallop or perhaps perceivably sweet reds that end up being dry...and bitter! Others, however, are sure bets that just happen to be damn good and play an essential part in helping achieve a balanced collection.
Marchese Piero Antinori, whose family has been in the business of making wine since the fourteenth century, brilliantly achieves the latter style with his superstar wine, Solaia. While steeped in tradition, Antinori nonetheless worked in the forefront of the Super-Tuscan revolution. Today, this producer retains its well-deserved reputation for making this stunning wine with excruciating care--and in unbearably small quantities.
This week, as I continue to travel this great, big beautiful boot, I'm proud to present to you the 2007 Antinori Solaia. It's my hope that you'll enjoy a bottle and educate yourselves in the history, the beauty and the love of Italian wines--an extraordinary pleasure you can enjoy whether you're at home or abroad.
My Best,
 Antinori
Solaia 2007, 750ml,$315.00
Antinori can craft soft, fruity reds that are approachable now, but even better a decade down the line, and with the ability to age well for many years later. The name Solaia, meaning "sunny one" in Italian, speaks of the Toscana land from which it is produced. At 1,150 to 1,300 feet above sea level, the marl and albarese rock soils help produce very high quality fruit. In 2007, the climate was perfect from summer through fall. A 75-20-5-percent blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc, each variety has been individually aged in French oak for 18 months before blending and further aging in wood barrels. It has rested in bottle over a year before release. Solaia 2007 is intensely fruity and minerallywith good structure and balance, possessing harmonious tannins and a lingering finish.
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