Antinori - Solaia Toscana 2017 (750ml)
James Suckling: 97 Points
Extremely aromatic with sage, lavender, blackberries and currants. Full-bodied with chewy and very polished tannins that melt into the wine. Foursquare and slightly austere. Fresh and well framed.
Decanter: 97 Points
Super-restrained cassis fruit with an almost blueberry maturity in front of violet, clove and blond tobacco spiciness. Retasting the wine the next day, it shines with graphite minerality, pure leather, and a touch of lemon thyme. Creamy and full on the palate, it has refined and meaty tannins, with lively acidity and great balance overall. You would not think this wine was aged in 100% new French oak for 18 months because of the great fruit concentration on display, but the top quality of the oak used is evident. The potential of Solaia is to be seen over the years, to discover its character as it matures. It's never cutesy, always elegant.
Wine Enthusiast: 96 Points
Made with 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 8% Cabernet Franc, this has aromas of black currant, menthol, Mediterranean herbs and spice. The palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, tobacco and toasted almond framed in tightly wound, close-grained tannins that produce a firm finish. This is already generous, but give the tannins a few years to unwind. Drink 2023–2029.
Wine Spectator: 95 Points
Expressive, featuring a bright burst of cherry, black currant, iron and oak spice aromas and flavors. Fresh and fluid, with well-mannered tannins and impeccable balance. A big wine, with an elegant feel. Pulls all the elements together nicely for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2042.
Vinous: 95 Points
The 2017 Solaia is naturally going to need time to come together. Even in the early going, though, it shows all the richness and opulence that is typical of the year, with terrific aromatic expansiveness and tons of persistence. I cna't wait to taste it with a bit more time in bottle.
Wine Advocate: 95 Points
The Marchesi Antinori 2017 Solaia offers a uniquely floral personality with wild rose and lilac that comes as a surprise, especially if you are expecting the more robust and opulent dark fruit associated with this vintage. To use a word that is popular now, the aromas are absolutely lifted. This is a bouquet-driven wine, showing great oak choices that are synergistic with the light and considerably thinner palate. Dried or pressed flowers cede to cherry, blueberry, some red meat char and a light touch of cinnamon. My impression is that the dry extract from the oak ultimately plays a bigger role in the overall flavor profile, preserving its red fruit core nevertheless. The wine is very accessible in terms of mouthfeel, showing a comparatively thinner and shorter approach. With more time in the glass, it offers some of the white soil dust that is a standard Solaia signature.
