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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
This unique red wine is a rather newly expression of Argiano's winegrowing potential compared to its Sangiovese-based reds. ‘Solengo’, a Tuscan word meaning 'lone wild boar', marries Tuscan soil with French grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Syrah. It is the result of a team effort between Adriano Bambagioni, Argiano’s long’serving cellar-master and Hans Vinding-Diers, a master winemaker and blender with worldwide experience. While keen to retain Solengo’s unique style the new team is also endowing Solengo with even greater levels of finesse, balance and depth. Hans made and blended his first vintage in 2004, while Solengo is a ‘creation’ of former renowned winemaker Dr Giacomo Tachis.
Tasting profile
Solengo is a modern, well-balanced and full-bodied wine. It is deep, dark purple in colour with a bouquet of ripe fruit, such as blackcurrants and blackberries, with a hint of toasted oak. It is smooth on the palate, with a great concentration of excellent fruit, nicely balanced with delicate, soft tannins. The structure and complexity in the mouth are outstanding, tempered by excellent tannic extracts. Thishigh-profile blend has evident Mediterranean characteristics and a sunny nature. Its grace and delicacy mean that it can be drunk while young, yet it also has a remarkable ageing capacity.
Climatic conditions
The vineyards of Argiano benefit from a favourable microclimate and an enviable position which contribute to the development of the vines. The extended vegetative cycle and ripening period are due to the altitude of the plateau, 300 m above sea level, which determines cool nights in the summer months. The generally moderate rainfall in Montalcino favours better, healthier ripening of the grapes, conveying greater concentration and aromas to the wine. This, together with the hot and constant winds that blow from the Maremma, cooling the bunches of grapes during the hottest summer days, allows slower ripening of the grapes, determining favourable general conditions. Lastly, Argiano is close to Mount Amiata, one of Tuscany’s highest peaks, which protects the entire area from bad weather. The combination of all these factors enables Argiano to make high profile wines and constantly good vintages, year after year.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested between the end of September and the beginning of October. The first grapes to be harvested are always Syrah and Merlot, while Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot take a little longer to fully express their personality, ripening later. The four different varieties are fermented separately in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 12-16 days. The second fermentation, also known as malo-lactic fermentation (undergone by all red wines), and maturing in wood take place in new French oak barriques with a capacity of 225 litres. When the wine achieves its full potential, the final blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Syrah is created, after which the wine is bottled. It is not filtered and may, consequently, present that harmless sediment that is the mark of a high quality natural wine.
Vuosikerta 1997
Italian Vintage Report by Tb: In 1997, the entire Italian wine industry was rejuvenated by one of the greatest vintages of all time. The only negative aspect of the year was subzero night temperatures in April and May, which damaged exceptionally early buds and flowers. As a result, crop yield was lower than desired. Otherwise, the summer season was blessed with sunny and warm weather. Temperatures soared in August and September and the grapes ripened two weeks earlier than normal. This took Piedmont by surprise, as Nebbiolo ripened before Barbera, which was unprecedented. The small grapes were so well balanced that there were only four other Italian vintages like 1997 in the 20th century. Otherwise, the acidity of the grapes has fallen below normal levels due to their ripeness. In Tuscany the situation was the same as in Piedmont – there had not been a harvest of such quality since 1947. The wines can still take years of aging and up to decades for Barolos and Barbarescos .