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Gianfranco Soldera scoured Piemonte, the Veneto, and Toscana before he settled on an abandoned, decrepit Montalcino farmhouse in 1972. He planted Sangiovese Grosso vines in two tiny vineyard plots, Case Basse (approximately 2 hectares) and Intistieti (approximately 4.5), over a two-year period (1972 and '73, respectively). Soldera exercises a precise and meticulous regimen in the vineyard and all work is done by hand. Ironically, however, Soldera's labels don't reflect his meticulousness and precision; in fact, to great confusion the 1987 vintage released under the Intistieti label was actually sourced from Case Basse. The rationale? Nothing more than the fact that Soldera liked the Intistieti name, a personal preference that he chose to exercise again in both 1988 and 1991. In the 1990 vintage, Case Basse made its debut Brunello showing, while Intistieti was the source of Soldera's Riserva. In some years, though, the normale Brunello is wholly a Case Basse production, while in others, like 1996, it is a blend of the best from both crus. Also, in 1995, Soldera produced the first Riserva from Case Basse; in 2001, Riservas were created from both crus. It may not make much sense, but in the end, it's always magical. The rich color of amarena, or sour cherry, alert you to the specialness of this Riserva, and its aromas of roses and forest floor only deepen that suspicion. Dizzying, amazing, and singular, a Soldera Riserva remains something that can only be experienced.
- Country: Italy
- Region: Toscana
- Subregion: Brunello di Montalcino
Gianfranco Soldera has the reputation of being Brunello’s most accomplished craftsman—a fanatical, uncompromising perfectionist who operates something of a viticultural wonderland that presents an idyllic version of nature. “Terroir” is the word at Soldera’s Case Basse estate. Soldera exclusively plants Sangiovese in his minute plots, the five-acre Case Basse and the 11-acre Intistieti, because he believes that varietal is the best grape for the terroir. Soldera exercises a precise and meticulous regimen in the vineyard, using a painstaking manual approach for many procedures. Soldera’s Brunellos sit in their own category, nearly unrivaled by any others. Created in this Utopian environment, the wines of Case Basse can’t help but be otherwordly.
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Best of the 2002 vintage 
