Antinori Solaia Toscana 2019

98 points Susan Hulme MW (The Wine Independent): "The lingering impression of this 2019 Marchesi Antinori Solaia is a wine with a beautiful, melting texture and a weightless quality. It is concentrated and full of flavor but without being heavy. The aromas are very bright and exuberant, with crushed blackcurrant and cassis notes. Charred toast and incense-like notes of oak-spice dominate at present, and they will need time to integrate but every now and then an intriguing aroma of violet passes by. The 2019 vintage was more ‘classical.’ Winter was fairly cold and there was rain in spring and early summer but there were no heat spikes in summer and from the end of August through September and October the weather was perfect for ripening each of the three varieties. The blend in this 2019 Solaia is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Sangiovese, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Having been fortunate enough to taste 10 vintages of this wine at a single tasting I love the direction in which they are going, becoming more and more graceful with each vintage, culminating in this 2019. Bravo! Drink 2024-2042. (Sep 2022)"

98 points Bruce Sanderson (Wine Spectator): "This youthful version features intense black currant, blackberry and black cherry fruit wrapped in accents of cedar, Mediterranean scrub and toasty oak, with a mineral streak underlining it all. A solid spine of tannins lends support, while the dark fruit returns on the finish. Shows terrific balance, vigor and excruciating length, yet this needs time in the bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2045. 500 cases imported. (4/30/23)"

98 points James Suckling: "This has a complex array of blackberries, black cherries, cocoa, dried herbs, slate, tobacco, olives and charred bark. Some dried roses and iodine, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm yet refined tannins. Powerful, in an understated way. Long. 73% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc and 20% sangiovese. Try in 2025. (7/4/22)"

97 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "The Marchesi Antinori 2019 Solaia is another blockbuster success from Tuscany's leading wine estate. The blend sees a slightly higher percentage of Cabernet Franc and a slightly lower percentage of Sangiovese. The current mix is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Franc (which has been creeping up in recent years, especially as the climate changes). The soils at the Solaia vineyard are rich in Galestro rock, which is an especially happy pairing with Cabernet Franc in particular. Managing Director Renzo Cotarella tells me that that a vintage like 2019 is proof that the final character of a wine comes from its surrounding territory, not from the blend. This is a generous and extremely expressive edition with lots of dark fruit, spice and sweet tobacco. The tannins are beautifully velvety and soft. This is a beautiful wine that collectors will love. Drink: 2024-2050. (Jun 2022)"

97 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2019 Solaia is fabulous. Deep and exquisitely layered, the 2019 is so expressive right out of the gate. Succulent dark cherry, plum, licorice, incense, pipe tobacco, chocolate and grilled herbs all take shape. Here, too, the aromatics are alluring. Cabernet Franc is bumped up a bit in the blend, and that works so well here. Solaia is often a bombastic, intense wine. The 2019 is incredibly refined and buttoned up. Readers will have to be patient. The 2019 Solaia is the sort of wine I would like to spend a whole evening with. Aging was 18 months in 100% new French oak. Drink: 2027-2044. (Jul 2022)"

97 points Decanter: "Wonderful raspberry and black cherry fragrance on the nose, ripe and sweet and expressive, aromas bursting from the glass. Fleshy and sweet, sticky and full, this is giving a whole load of ripe, plush tannins and powerful fruit but underpinned by bright acidity that keeps things lifted and vibrant. A very serious wine, this is brooding and confident. It's showcasing lots of elements right now - ample, generous, hefty and stylish with flecks of red flowers, white pepper spice, ground coffee, herbs and chocolate. A dark horse at the moment waiting for its moment to fully shine. Individual lots were fermented in 60hl truncated cone-shaped vats, racked with malolactic fermentation beginning in barriques followed by ageing for 18 months in French oak barrels before blending and reput into barrels to complete the process. Drinking Window: 2025-2045. (Jul 2022)"

96 points Luca Maroni