Solaia

Powerfully bright and dense ruby colour, light purple shimmer. Opens with intense notes of cedar wood and graphite, then lots of crisp fruit, cassis and blackberry, a little smoke in the background. Displays lush fruit on the palate, lots of blueberry and cassis, opens with almost perfectly integrated tannins, fine texture, lingers for a long time.

A torrent of blackberries, blueberries, currants jump off the nose before giving way to soil and wild fennel. On the palate berries remain as exuberant as they were on the nose, equally balanced by wild herbs and pepper, with a spicy heat that feels like the peel of an orange set on fire over a glass of amaro. Tannins are taut and smooth and give the sensation of actually being able to bite into the wine. Hard to argue with this one.