Tenuta Tignanello - 2008 - Solaia - 750 ml.
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvgnion - Sangiovese
Vintage: 2008 - Size: 750 ml. - Type: Red
Intense ruby red in color, this wine displays classic Cabernet Sauvignon character with intense fruit-driven romas of ripe cherries and blackberries without excessive hints of oak. Generous and smooth on the palate with soft, gentle and balanced tannins. Distinctive varietal notes meld together harmoniously with a long and wonderfully persistent finish.The 2008 Solaia is richer and darker than the Tignanello, but it isn’t an appreciably more complex or complete wine. It shows gorgeous depth and textural richness to match an expressive core of blackberry jam, smoke, scorched earth, crushed rocks and cassis. This is a beautiful wine, but not as great as I had hoped. The 2008 Solaia is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged in 100% new oak. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.
James Suckling: 96
Wonderful pure Cabernet character, with currants, spices, flowers and violets. Velvety and fresh. Long and intense. Less austere than the 2007 with very sweet and ripe tannins. Such beauty. This is really powerful. Give it three to four years before trying a bottle.
Wine Spectator: 92
Lush, ripe and polished to a gleam, this red exhibits black cherry, plum and sweet spice flavors on a powerful frame. Balanced, with a chewy, spice- and violet-filled finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2014 through 2020.
Wine Enthusiast: 97
Definitely on a top 10 list of Italian icons, Solaia affirms the massive potential of Italian winemaking, from vineyard to cantina to cellar and beyond. Superrich and polished, but never over the top, this gorgeous super Tuscan shows deep layers of chocolate, black cherry, rum cake and spice. The secret lies in its balance: Everything is in place, from intensity and complexity to persistency.