March 14, 2024 - Extraordinary, the best Soldera I ever had. So fresh, could wait 20 more years
June 16, 2023 - Brunello 2004 Horisontal (My House): Intense, refined and elegant sour cherry fruit, going towards cranberries.
The complexity is stunning showing black tea, rose hip and vermouth-style spice includes and lovely bitterness in the aftertaste!
There is so much purity and elegance and combined with the flavor depth, this is an absolutely perfect wine!
March 1, 2023 - Pre-Paulee Warm-up Dinner (House of Nanda - Chicago IL): 99/04 paired. I was not thrilled with either, but I preferred this 2004. Also slightly dirty, but lots of red cherry and berry front-and-center, maturing gracefully. Long-ish, persistent finish.
March 1, 2023 - Pre La Paulée Dinner with friends (Home): 99/04 side-by-side. This was a bit cloudy in appearance relative to the 1999 and while excellent on its own was just a bit clumsy and lacking refinement of the 04. Should continue to age well and improve.
December 17, 2022 - Powerful, silky and ethereal cherry and plum fruit. Loads of floral, toasted herb and spice complexity. Long, refined finish. Grand Cru in every way. At peak and should hold for decades.
June 18, 2022 - Medium garnet, bricky color. Elegant nose with alluring ample fruit and intriguing spice notes. In the mouth, earth driven wine with balanced dark fruit, medium firm tannins and smooth acid on finish. Need to drink this wine with food. Preferably pasta with tomato sauce
June 27, 2021 - Opened for 3 hours. Color is pale brick, easy to see through and with prominent orange rim. On the nose: Sour cherry, rose, serious forest floor funk. On the palate: Tart Cherry, rose, Dr Pepper and ends with tart red fruits. Flavor is broad and long. Age is starting to show but this is magnificent. I am down to 3 bottles from the master. If you really love wine and can afford an extravagant splurge it’s a must to try. Save it for that special occasion. Truly a great wine. I am picturing eating at The Veranda , at Villa D’Este on Lake Como.
June 21, 2021 - just not as much kaleidoscopic flavor as some prior bottles... so 92 instead of 95 pts... still a fine wine to sip, but not worth the $600-$700 a bottle this wine requires today... thank god I bought a bunch at $200 before the 5 vintages were hacked down the drain from their barriques
June 2, 2021 - this bottle was a little more mature, with a softer and more muted panoply of flavors, nonetheless less a remarkable wine in terms of the 'kaleidiscope' of flavors Soldera offers... just a little 'downbeat' for this wine
May 31, 2021 - over the hill