Vinous Event: Soldera Vertical in London
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
Gianfranco Soldera remains one of Italy’s most iconic producers. Our recent vertical tasting in London provided an extraordinary opportunity to check in on a number of Soldera Brunellos back to 1981. In particular, I was struck by how well wines from the less renowned vintages showed. The Soldera tasting was the second event in a Vinous London double-header that began with a vertical of Bartolo Mascarello Barolos held the day before.
For more on Gianfranco Soldera and his wines, readers might enjoy revisiting my article Soldera: Brunello di Montalcino 1977-2000 which includes quite a bit of historical background information on Soldera and his Case Basse property in Montalcino. As luck would have it, I recently participated in a second Soldera vertical, with many of the same wines. For further reference, those notes are here.
Gordon Ramsey’s maze was once again an ideal setting. The cuisine was creative, but not overly whimsical, and all the dishes worked beautifully with the wines. We opened the bottles a few hours before service and checked them for soundness. None of the wines was decanted. I chose to open wines from the most challenging vintages, such as 1981 and 1987 last, expecting they might lose some intensity if opened too soon. Instead, the opposite happened, as those wines only improved with time in the glass. As is our custom, the wines were served in thematic flights rather than in strict chronological order, an approach I find both keeps the palate fresh and allows for comparisons of wines with similar attributes that may be separated by years or even decades. When all was said and done, we enjoyed another memorable London evening of food, wine and conversation.
Canapés - Chef’s Selection
2004 Salon
Cumbrian Beef Tataki, Smoked Ponzu
Cumbrian Beef Tataki, Smoked Ponzu
The Early Years: 1981, 1982, 1987, 1988
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Gianfranco Soldera remains one of Italy’s most iconic producers. Our recent vertical tasting in London provided an extraordinary opportunity to check in on a number of Soldera Brunellos back to 1981. In particular, I was struck by how well wines from the less renowned vintages showed.
