Solaia					1988	Antinori

3/98. Bought in auction April-96 for $95 (imported for $111 net).
I've tasted this celebrated wine (mostly Cabernet with some Sagniovese) from the Cianti Classico area at a friend of mine a couple of years ago and was totally unimpressed. From what I remember the wine was simply plain, with nothing good (nor bad) to be said about it.
Tonight I decided to open one of my two bottles with a simple mid-week dinner of chicken soup, spaghetti bolognese and fruit.
COLOR: Medium deep red, very slightly clearing around the rim.
NOSE: Lovely dense black berries with a touch of sweetish plums. Quite rich and 'nose-filling' although a bit one-dimensional in the sense of many Cal Cabs. The bouquet has plenty of vigor and no sign of age.
TASTE: Rich sweetish fruit on the palate too. Really concentrated with a lot of 'winyness'. Fruit and concentration are very fine but the amount of harsh tannins is almost unbearable. We left about half the bottle for the next day, and though it did soften a little, tannins were still too prominent.
LENGTH: Medium long, tannins-dominated but fruity aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium-light in weight, good concentration and more than reasonably fruity. Almost devoid of perceived acidity and much too tannic for fine balance.
OVERALL: Excellent-plus wine, that does not feel 10 years old. However, I am not sure the fruit will last as long as will be needed for the tannins to recede or soften.
MARK: 17.5/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? No.

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.