2002 Solaia

Chronicling the great wines of Italy for our readers has been a passion of mine for many years. Vinous Events take readers off the sidelines and make them participants in historic, once-in-a-lifetime tastings. It was with that spirit we hosted this complete vertical of Antinori's Solaia a few months ago.

Putting together the first-ever complete vertical of Solaia was a huge undertaking. It almost didn't happen at all. The original date for this tasting/dinner was Monday October 29, the day Hurricane Sandy descended on the tri-state area and began wreaking unprecedented havoc. Nearly eight months passed before the vertical finally took place, which only strengthened our resolve to make the evening even better. The passage of time also allowed for the inclusion of the 2010, which is in my view the greatest Solaia ever made. Marchese Piero Antinori and longtime Winemaker Renzo Cotarella presented the wines. Even Antinori had never tasted all 28 vintages together. Eleven Madison Park's Executive Chef Daniel Humm and his team prepared a brilliant menu full of highlights, including the morel and lamb courses both of which were among the most delicious dishes I have ever indulged in at Eleven Madison Park. Wine Director Dustin Wilson and a talented group of sommeliers took care of the wines, a huge undertaking given the large number of vintages. For more perspective, readers might enjoy the videos I shot with Antinori and Cotarella just prior to the dinner.