Soldera - Case Basse

Gianfranco Soldera is a man with an incredible culture of wine. He is one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met when it comes to the great traditionally made Barolos and Barbarescos of Piedmont. These wines are among his greatest passions and clearly his own wines share some attributes with them. Soldera's approach, though, is quite unique. He fervently believes that supporting the entire ecosystem of the estate is fundamental to ensuring the vines have the right conditions in which to flourish. The grounds at the Case Basse estate are impeccably maintained and are home to many species of animals as well as a rich array of flowers and plants, including over 200 varieties of roses to give just one example. To say that the estate is worth a visit just to walk through the property would be an understatement. Soldera's meticulous attention to detail in the vineyard is legendary, and these are some of the most well-maintained, manicured vines I have ever seen. No pesticides or fungicides are employed and only natural fertilizers are used.

“I chose to purchase the Case Basse estate because I thought that here I could create the ideal conditions to make great wines,” explains Soldera. “For me the most important aspect of the vineyard is the plants' exposure to light, rather than heat, so all of my vineyards are planted south-west which allows the vines to receive the maximum amount of light during the day. When vineyards are planted south-east or south the grapes will often have moisture on the skins from early morning dew, and if the moisture has not dried off when the sun hits the grapes there is a higher risk of disease, and that requires using treatments of the kind I try to avoid at all costs.” Soldera works with small yields, which he won't divulge. Once the fruit is in the cellar, fermentations are carried out with natural yeasts in wood vats without the aid of temperature control. The wines then age in Slavonian oak casks for roughly five years prior to being bottled. The estate produces a Brunello from its younger Case Basse vineyard, and a Riserva from the older Intistieti vineyard. In a typical vintage there is one cask produced of each wine.

During the morning I spent at the estate I tasted every wine in the cellar from 2000 to 2005. I was most impressed with Soldera's 2001s and 2004s which are spectacular at this stage. These wines have aromatic complexity, sweet fruit and a level of overall balance I can only define as breathtaking. That said, these wines are made in a quirky style that may not appeal to every palate. Relative to most other Brunellos, these are lightly colored wines with an ethereal almost weightless texture. Some may find the levels of volatile acidity to be extreme.

“Vintages 2001 and 2004 are both outstanding and I would say they are at about the same level in terms of quality,” says Soldera. “2003 and 2005 while obviously quite different in terms of style are also fairly equivalent in quality and represent a step down from 2001 and 2004, while 2002 is a vintage unto itself as it is the most challenging vintage of recent years.” As profound as the wines from barrel were the wines tasted from bottle proved to be less consistent. Soldera has a range of wines on the market and the availability of vintages will vary from country to country. In the US the 1998s are being re-released, while in Italy the current vintage is 2000, a vintage in which Soldera has opted to release only his Riserva so far. According to Soldera the regular bottling (which I tasted from cask) will be released at a later date, although that strikes me as counterintuitive.