Soldera is one of Italy’s most iconic and best-loved wines. In top vintages, it is the absolute benchmark for Sangiovese par excellence and there are few wines in the world that can achieve the same level of ethereal beauty.
The estate has always been a family affair and, following the passing of founder and guiding light Gianfranco Soldera in February last year, the remaining family members have continued his work, adhering to his strict philosophy and methods in the vineyard and winery.
We caught up with Gianfranco’s daughter Monica Soldera who, alongside her husband Paolo, has worked with her father at the estate since 2003.
The Soldera philosophy
The Soldera story starts with the winery, Case Basse. “Its foundation is built on the history and heritage of the family", Monica says, "[it is] focused on a love of nature, passion for food and wine, and pleasure of knowledge. Nowadays Case Basse follows this path thanks to the help and personality of my mum, my brother Mauro and his wife Valeria, me and my husband Paolo.”
Elegance, perfume and balance have been at the heart of Soldera from the outset. This has been achieved through a combination of factors synonymous with fine wine production: extremely low yields, strict grape selection at harvest, and the all-important terroir which is so well suited to growing Sangiovese (including not only the soil but all the natural influences specific to the estate such as climate, exposure and elevation). In addition to this, Soldera has always operated under a philosophy that the family refers to as “fine-tuning”.
This fine-tuning approach has seen the estate go into minute detail in both the vineyard and winery to improve the quality of the wines. For example, the de-stemming of the grapes is done in a special machine that safeguards the integrity of the berries and enables their selection according to size. Berries are then checked manually, one by one, before being transferred directly into 100-quintal (10,000kg) oak fermenters for natural fermentation. Movement and racking of the wine is not practiced unless absolutely necessary and the wines are aged in large old Slovenian oak casks for around four years before the wines are bottled directly from the cask, completely unfiltered.
Extensive research is also carried out at the property, as Monica explains. "There are two souls at Soldera: the first is very traditional in its work in the vineyard and in its winemaking processes but the other soul is academic".
Soldera has become a beacon of research in the region, commissioning in-depth studies on the soils, clones and climate within the property.
Monica says that climate change over the past 10 years has been very noticeable and therefore it has never been more important to understand nature, adding: “Nature gives you a lot of signals but you need to understand what those signals are telling you.”
Without research and a deeper understanding of their environment, many farmers might use aggressive methods to combat problems in the vineyard which cause more damage. “If you are scared, you act aggressively. If you are attentive to nature, it gives you confidence and you can work to protect it”.
The research continues today with grants awarded to researchers who use the Case Basse vineyard to carry out their studies. This year they celebrated the 10th anniversary of The International Soldera Case Basse Award for Young Researchers, which is awarded by a commission of six agricultural professors and experts.
Candelaria Castello Lloret received the top prize in 2019 for her research entitled Metabolomics Characterisation of Spontaneous Vine Growth in Case Basse Estate, Montalcino. This type of research has enabled Soldera to continually refine their agricultural work as well as provide data for agricultural practices more generally.
The 2019 harvest
The 2019 harvest was the first at the estate without founder Gianfranco and therefore a very poignant one for the family.“It was full of emotion and responsibility," Monica says. "However, we are really happy with the results and the first evaluation of the wine leads us to believe that Soldera 2019 will be one of the best-ever produced at Case Basse."
"We took care of the vineyards, we selected the grapes and we carried out the vinification according to the principles and the practices that we learned from my dad throughout the years," Monica explains. "Even though nature can be variable and we must adapt to it. The 2019 growing season has been characterised by a different meteorological trend compared to other recent years. A cold winter with few precipitations followed by a fresh and rainy spring and a hot dry summer led to high-quality grapes very rich in fully ripe tannins, a guarantee for a long-lasting wine".
"Meanwhile, 2016, 2017 and 2018 are maturing properly in the cellar and we are monitoring and tasting them regularly with the support of Professor Vincenzini and his team," she adds. "All of them offer us joy and great emotions that we will share with our customers in the coming years.“
The 2015 vintage
On the 2015 vintage, which is due to be released in the next few weeks, Monica said: "It has been a regular year in climate with no particular difficulties in vineyard and vinification. My father said 'an easy vintage' which means no challenges in production but joyful in wine. Nature was generous in 2015 and after having 2014 so difficult in weather this has been a gift.
"The 2014 Sangiovese Soldera is thrilling, but the production has been very limited so we are only able to share it in lower quantities with our customers. Coming back to 2015, we think that drinking wine is a personal and specific experience, nobody is allowed to tell you what you feel in your nose and mouth. At the end, what is worth is if you finish the bottle (not alone!) because you enjoy it. So I do not want to write about perceptions in tasting as a rule. Personally, I would say: a rainbow of emotions."
The 2015 was exceptional in Brunello di Montalcino more generally. Significantly warmer and drier than the two previous vintages of 2013 and 2014. Production levels were around average for the estate at just over 16,500 bottles, up from just under 10,000 in the more difficult 2014 vintage. The wine was aged for 45 months in barrel prior to bottling.
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