Marchesi Antinori, Solaia, 2020
Marchesi Antinori, Solaia, 2020
- 75cl
- 14.5%
- Red Still
- Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2045
Solaia is the crown jewel of the Antinori family, nestled in the heart of Tenuta Tignanello, between Greve and Val di Pesa.
The name "Solaia", meaning "sunny one," reflects the vineyard’s ideal exposure, and it’s been wowing wine lovers since its debut in 1978. While Tignanello is all about Sangiovese, Solaia takes a different approach—its blend is led by Cabernet Sauvignon, with Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc adding depth and complexity.
This iconic site produces some of the finest fruit on the planet and the wine has the scores to match, consistently earning sky-high praise from critics.
What the critics say:
"Subtle and beautiful on the nose with currants, flowers and light sage aromas that follow through to a full body with ultra-fine tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Extremely polished and poised. Classy. Best after 2028."
"The 2020 Solaia is an infant. I expected a more exuberant wine, but the 2020 is built along more classic lines. Black cherry, plum, gravel, incense, smoke, pencil shavings and spice all open effortlessly. As always, Solaia is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine, but it is a Cabernet that is distinctly Italian, with plenty of Tuscan acid and structure driving through the mid-palate and into the finish. The 2020 is a terrific example of the recent stylistic shift at Antinori. In the past, richness and opulence are qualities of a vintage that would have been amplified in the vineyard and cellar. Today, the aim is to capture a more balanced expression of these kinds of vintages, and that very much comes through. "
The Solaia vineyard sits within Tenuta Tignanello in the Chianti Classico zone, at around 350-400 metres altitude on southwest-facing slopes that capture maximum sun — hence the name. Soils are a mix of galestro, the crumbly schist-like rock that dominates much of this part of Tuscany, and alberese clay, which together give the wines their characteristic grip and mineral backbone. The altitude moderates what can be a warm growing season, preserving the acidity that keeps Solaia vital for decades. In 2020, the combination of a dry, warm summer and well-timed rainfall produced exceptionally concentrated, balanced fruit without the overripeness that has sometimes marked warmer vintages.
Solaia is classified as an IGT Toscana — Indicazione Geografica Tipica — which sounds less glamorous than a Chianti Classico DOCG but is, historically, a badge of honour. The Supertuscan movement was born precisely because producers like Antinori wanted to make wines that broke from the DOCG rules, particularly the requirement for white grapes in red blends and the limits on Cabernet. IGT Toscana gave them the freedom to do so, and the wines that resulted — Sassicaia, Tignanello, Solaia — redefined Italian fine wine from the 1970s onwards. The classification is now understood by every serious wine buyer as a signal of ambition rather than a demotion.
The 2020 growing season in Tuscany threw everything it had at the vines, then delivered one of those dramatic turnarounds that makes wine people believe in providence. A cold, wet spring delayed budbreak and kept everyone on edge about flowering, whilst summer brought punishing heat that had producers reaching for shade nets and irrigation systems. Just when the vintage looked destined for mediocrity, September arrived with cooling temperatures and crucial rainfall that allowed the grapes to recover their composure and ripen properly rather than simply desiccate on the vine.
What emerged from the cellars shows Tuscany's resilience in fine form. The Sangiovese displays more immediate charm than we often see from the variety, with bright cherry fruit that doesn't sacrifice the underlying structure that makes Chianti and Brunello age so gracefully. Super Tuscans from the coastal areas fared particularly well, where Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot thrived in the maritime influence and produced wines with both power and freshness. Most 2020s are drinking beautifully now, offering accessibility without compromising their long-term prospects, and we suspect the best will reward cellaring for another decade or more.
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