2015 Soldera Sangiovese 

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | MAY 17, 2021

Tasting the 2015 Soldera Sangiovese brings back so many memories of tasting the wine from cask with Gianfranco Soldera prior to his passing in 2019. The routine was always the same. Visits started with intense, deeply intellectual conversations on a wide range of topics. Then it was down to the cellar to taste from cask. Following the vandalism of 2012, photography of any wine was strictly forbidden. I doubt anyone objected much to the second rule. And then there were the wines, majestic expressions of Sangiovese unlike any other.

Soldera’s 2015 Sangiovese is superb. The aromatics alone are pure seduction. Sweet floral notes, cedar, tobacco and a hint of spice open first. Deceptively medium in body, the 2015 is translucent and weightless, with plenty of acid and tannin that drive the mid-palate and a finish laced with all sorts of red-toned fruits. The 2015 can be enjoyed now, but I would cellar it for at least a few years. These wines have a way of transforming in the bottle over time. I imagine that will be the case here as well. 96/Drink 2027-2045.