This was very generously brought to the Berserkers event at Di Fara Pizza last night in Brooklyn. This was the first time I’ve been able to have a full glass of Soldera, rather than just a barrel sample or pour from a dispenser. This was far from a life-altering wine, but definitely an impressive performance for the normale (they bottled a separate Riserva) from an off vintage in Tuscany.
1998 Soldera (Az. Agr. Case Basse) Brunello di Montalcino- Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino (3/5/2014)
Translucent ruby. Nose alternates between sour cherry, strawberry, herbs and anise, cinnamon, and smoke. A hint of volatility contributes some extra complexity. Plenty of structure, but hides its tannin well. Similar flavor profile to the Poggio di Sotto Brunellos I’ve had, but significantly lighter-bodied. Not a showstopper. (91 pts.)
Never knew he bottled a seperate Casse Basse non-riserva wine, and winesearcher has no mention of it in 1998. Do you know if that happened in other vintages as well?
Sounds a bit off for a Soldera if described as Poggio di sotto “light” (dont get me wrong i love Poggio di sotto for many reasons, one of which is it is cheaper than Soldera)
All I know is that there’s no consistency to his labeling. Sometimes it’s Intistieti, sometimes it’s Case Basse, sometimes it’s Riserva, sometimes it’s IGT, sometimes it’s Pegasos etc., with various permutations of vineyard source and declassification. There were definitely two different bottlings that year.
Well, it didn’t have any less concentration than a PdS, it just packed the same wallop in a lighter package. Most tasters here would consider that a feature, not a bug, no?
Thanks, I know of both the intistieti and the pegasos, just wasnt aware of any regular casse basse bottling in 1998. I find Poggio Sotto to have exactly the right amount of power for my taste in Brunello.
Dan — I was the one that brung the bottle (and a Liquid Farm). I agree with you as to the Soldera not being “life-altering.” I did like it. I thought the tannins were very well integrated - esp since there was no decant. It was a bit lighter than I thought it would be. I did enjoy it - went well with all the pizza.
Ted, that was exceedingly kind of you. If you’re interested in getting together anytime before next year’s Di Fara bash, I’ll be sure to bring a heavy hitter.
FWIW, I had a bottle from the PLCB stash recently and loved it. Great texture and nuance. Probably not at its best in a crowd of wines but I thought it outstanding as the lone wine on the table with a meal.
