Marchesi Antinori’s Solaia 2023 is a flagship IGT Toscana red from the Tignanello estate, built around Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. The Solaia vineyard itself is a distinct, 20-hectare parcel on the sunniest side of the Tignanello hillside, with a southwestern exposure at 350–400 meters. It is rooted in the stony, limestone- and clay-based soils typical of this part of Chianti Classico—“alberese” (hard limestone) and “galestro” (flaky calcareous clay)—which help explain the wine’s structural intent as much as its ripeness.
The 2023 growing season, according to the producer, combined a “cool, rainy spring” with a “warm, dry summer without significant heat spikes,” setting up a measured, late harvest that began in early October and finished October 13 with Cabernet Sauvignon. A retailer’s account adds detail about disease pressure early (mildew risk in a very wet spring) and a “scorching July,” followed by moderating August temperatures and diurnal swings—conditions often associated with preserved freshness alongside full phenolic maturity.
In the cellar, Antinori reports that lots are handled separately and aged for around 15 months in new French oak barrels, with malolactic fermentation taking place in second- and third-fill French barriques after racking. The approach signals a polished, internationally framed Super Tuscan style, but anchored by site and by the inclusion of Sangiovese.
Professional critical coverage for this vintage is still thin in publicly verifiable form, and no complete scores were available in the provided materials. The only published glimpse comes from Wine Spectator, which notes that “a sheen of new oak wraps around flavors of black cherry” (Wine Spectator). That snapshot points to an oak-forward, dark-fruited profile in youth, consistent with Solaia’s house style and élevage choices, and likely to integrate with bottle age. At this stage, there are no confirmed “excellent” scored reviews to report for the 2023.
