One of the rarest wines from Italy and the LAST VINTAGE made by Gianfranco Soldera before his death.
96 + Point Score by The Wine Advocate
The elusive and highly collectible Soldera Case Basse 2018 100% Sangiovese is already available in certain markets yet ultimately proves very hard to buy. I suspect it is easier to locate in the United States than in Italy. No matter, Soldera advocates will be very pleased with this latest release that maintains enormous Sangiovese character and brightness despite the uneven growing season (that saw a wet and cool spring and a hot summer). The legendary Gianfranco Soldera died the morning of February 16, 2019, from a heart attack while driving along the bucolic, vineyard-lined road near his winery. That means this is the last vintage manned directly by Soldera, a man who remained extremely active in the vineyards and the winery until the very end. His send-off to us is a delicately nuanced wine with cassis, wild berry, rosemary, pencil shaving and blood orange. This is a beautiful wine that pays tribute not only to Gianfranco Soldera but to his non-interventionist vision of Italian wine that has influenced so many younger vintners in his wake.
Gianfranco Soldera was born in 1937 in Treviso, northern Italy. He moved to Tuscany in 1970 and purchased the 23-hectare Case Basse property located in Montalcino. He planted Sangiovese vines in 1972 and 1973 to make Brunello di Montalcino. His first bottled wine was produced in 1975, and the first vintage of Case Basse Brunello di Montalcino was 1977 (released in 1982). Soldera continued to make Brunello di Montalcino until 2006. After that date, he declassified his latest vintages to IGT Toscana status, calling the wine "100% Sangiovese." On the morning of February 16, 2019, Soldera suffered a heart attack while driving on the road to Santa Restituta near Case Basse. He was 82 years old. The Soldera Case Basse 2018 100% Sangiovese is his last vintage. Known for his strong will and intransigent views on the fundamentals of winemaking, Gianfranco Soldera would soon win a loyal following among the great wine collectors of the world. His brazen style and sharp tongue rarely went down well with his critics, but ultimately Soldera will be remembered for his invaluable contributions to the appellation. The success and raging popularity of Brunello di Montalcino today is due in large measure to the efforts of this stubborn genius. -The Wine Advocate.
Gianfranco Soldera's 2006 was the last cask released as Brunello during a tumultuous period for the estate that saw six vintages of wine in oak destroyed by a disgruntled former employee. (the employee opened tanks and let the wines drain onto the floor of the winery.) Soldera first released the 2006 as a Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, but he became so infuriated with his colleague producers in the aftermath of the loss of his wine that he left the appellation and decided to bottle all of his future wines as simply Sangiovese (Toscana-IGT).