Antinori Solaia From Magnum: 1978-2016
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
It’s always great to be in London. There is something magical about the city. Its energy and pulse are so inspiring. This vertical of Antinori’s iconic Solaia going back to the inaugural 1978, with all but the very early vintages from magnum, was truly unforgettable.
The room is set for a special night at The Ledbury.
From the very beginning, I have believed in hosting our retrospectives of Italian wines outside the world of Italian restaurants. The Italian kitchen has so much to offer, but, in my view, it can also lead to a feeling of repetition of the tried and true that ultimately shortchanges the wines. So, I prefer to present Italian wines in settings that might not be the most obvious. For this retrospective we chose The Ledbury, one of London’s most prestigious venues until Chef Brett Graham announced earlier this year he would not re-open as restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic began to ease.
Tight quarters in the kitchen at The Ledbury.
Writing this article is somewhat bittersweet, as I have a number of fond memories from The Ledbury. One of my first visits was for a small Haut-Brion dinner organized by a long-time Vinous reader. This dinner was planned something like six months in advance and featured a number of very famous vintages, basically the years ending in “5” or “9”, so the 1929, 1945, 1949, 1989 and others. The last wine served was the 1875. From magnum. Estate Manager Jean-Philippe Delmas was seated to my left. He gasped in horror when I told the group the 1875 was corked. I guess you aren’t supposed to say things like that. Well, decorum was never my strong suit. Thankfully I was not banned from The Ledbury or Haut-Brion.
We booked the entire restaurant for our group so that we would have plenty of space, always essential given the number of glasses involved. I arrived a few hours early to taste all the bottles. Anything I was not crazy about was not served. The wines were then double decanted as needed to remove sediment. We like to do things that are a bit unique, so all the vintages were served from magnum, except for the first five, of which there are no remaining stocks. It had been many years since our last Solaia vertical, six to be exact. On that night we served all 28 vintages, which was certainly comprehensive, but also probably a bit much. For this tasting I chose 16 of the very best vintages, which I think made for a better overall experience. I tend to prefer organizing verticals by theme, so that vintages with similar attributes can be tasted side-by-side. On this night, though, I opted for a chronological order so that we could follow the arc of Solaia as it has evolved over the decades.
It’s always great to be in London. There is something magical about the city. Its energy and pulse are so inspiring. This vertical of Antinori’s iconic Solaia going back to the inaugural 1978, with all but the very early vintages from magnum, was truly unforgettable.
