- 99 points -
April 2019Very complex aromas of fresh flowers, blackberries and black licorice follow through to a full body, integrated tannins and a long and linear finish. Focused and racy. The tannins are so polished.
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ARGIANO
Solengo
2016
- In conversion
Country
Italy
Regulated designation
Indicazione geographica tipica (IGT)
Region
Tuscany
Appellation
Toscana
Varietal(s)
Cabernet Sauvignon
Petit Verdot
Merlot
Sangiovese
Colour
Red
Producer's website
About this winery
Argiano is a beautiful estate in the southern western portion of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. The estate has a long history of excellence in the region and is reaching new heights under new ownership. The 120 ha property follows the traditional Tuscan model of mixed land use featuring vineyards, olive groves and woodlands. A majestic Renaissance villa is also housed on the property making this one of the loveliest visits in the region. Argiano produces brilliant examples of Brunello and...
See the ARGIANO detail page for more information on this brand
Product notes
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: Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Production notes
Solengo is produced from vineyards which are 12 to 18 years old. 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 notes
This is a balanced and harmonious Solengo with a nose of spice and berries. It is velvety on the palate with great structure and a long finish.
Press reviews
- 96 points -
December 2022 (Vintage 2020)Profound nose here with chili chocolate and sandalwood beneath the sweet blackberry background. A hint of violets, too. An opulent and densely packed palate with full body and concentrated blackberries. Very tight tannins rendered in a fine-grained and almost seamless way, with a lingering finish.
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- 96 points -
July 2021This is very structured and linear with currants, blackberries, dried citrus, chocolate and some smokiness. It’s full-bodied, but very tight and structured. Flavorful finish.
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- 96 points -
October 2021 (Vintage 2018)Blackberries, spice, walnuts and currants on the nose, following through to a full bodied, tight and dense palate, yet it’s agile and linear at the finish. Firm, layered tannins. This needs time to come around in the bottle. One for the cellar. Try after 2024.
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- 96 points -
August 2021 (Vintage 2019)The 2019 Solengo seduces with its richly decadent display of vanilla and mocha-tinged dark fruits and spices, which are wonderfully lifted by minty herbal tones and white smoke. This enters the palate like weighted velvet, smooth and fleshy at first, yet lively, as mineral-tinged black currants mix with fine-grained tannins, clamping down with youthful poise. Like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, this tapers off incredibly long and staining, with echoes of licorice beneath an air of cedar and tobacco; yet somehow, through it all, the palate is left watering for more. The Solengo is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Sangiovese that spends eighteen months refining in a combination of 60% new to 40% second-pass barriques.
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- 95 points -
October 2022 (Vintage 2020)Rich and balsamic in the glass, the 2020 Solengo smolders up with an array of mocha-tinged black cherries and tobacco lifted by hints of grilled sage and fresh mint. It shows the warmth but also elegance of the vintage, coming across as seamlessly silky on the palate. A balanced inner sweetness and vibrant core of acidity create a wildly energetic impression. This boasts a concentration of blackberry, steeped plums and hints of cocoa that drenches the senses, as a staining of fine tannins slowly takes hold through the dramatically long finale. There’s so much purity and upfront appeal, plus a balanced structure to carry it for well over a decade in the cellar. The 2020 is the total package. Lose these in the cellar for five to eight years, and then reap the rewards. Solengo is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Sangiovese.
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- 95 points -
May 2020 (Vintage 2017)This is really dense and structured, yet there’s energy and agility throughout. Full-bodied, yet agile and firm. It’s nicely composed and framed. Shows a lot of texture and precision for the vintage. Some balsamic to the cherry and chocolate flavors. Give it two or three years to come together.
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- 94 points -
July 2021 (Vintage 2018)Solengo is an IGT Toscana red blending cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, merlot, and sangiovese, grown at 280 to 310 meters, over marl and ancient clay, with a high proportion of limestone. The two-decade-old plus vines are organically farmed and low-yielding. 2018 was up and down as a growing season, but it ended dry with large temperature swings between day and night, allowing for ideal maturation. Argiano’s star continues to rise, and the latest Solengo is no exception, flaunting its power and SuperTuscan status with bright blueberry and balsamic with a mineral, salty, fresh finish. Age for 10 to 20 years with ease. The grapes are fermented separately, spending about 20 days on the skins and going through a malolactic fermentation naturally in cement tanks. Finally, it spends 18 months in French barrique made especially for Solengo, with 60 percent new oak and the remainder in one-year-old barrels. In 2018 Solengo presents with fine balance, offering a harmony of flavours that would make Giacomo Tachis, its founder, proud.
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- 94 points -
March 2023 (Vintage 2020)A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot and 5% Sangiovese, the hot-vintage 2020 Solengo (in a heavy glass bottle) is very rich and dense with firm textural support and a full-bodied style. The wine is bold and beautiful and so is the quality of the fruit; however, there is a lot of oak spice and toast to take in. That oak is good reason to put this bottle aside in your cellar for three or four more years.
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- 93 points -
June 2021 (Vintage 2017)A beam of pure blackberry, black currant, iron and earth flavors are accented by vanilla and coconut from the new oak. This red is dense, with nervous tannins that eventually dissolve into the fruit. Decant now and serve with a juicy, grilled steak or lamb chops, or wait 5 years. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Sangiovese. Best from 2024 through 2040.
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- 93 points -
January 2022 (Vintage 2018)The Argiano 2018 Solengo is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot and 5% Sangiovese that flaunts the richness, dark concentration and spicy flavors of a full-throttle Tuscan blend, or the kind of wine that is universally attractive to lovers of hearty red wines for a steak-and-potato kind of night. Solengo's black fruit richness is backed by lots of oak spice and toast. With 60% new French oak (and 40% second-year barrique) for 18 months, this wine embraces a contemporary feel with tight tannins (both from the fruit and the oak) and a rich, long finish. I recommend putting this wine aside for a few more years to let that tannic bitterness subside. Best after 2024.
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- 93 points -
July 2020 (Vintage 2017)The Argiano Super Tuscan known as Solengo is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, merlot, and sangiovese. There is no syrah in the mix despite numerous suggestions on the internet that the 2017 includes it. The site is a mix of stony alluvial soils with small amounts of clay and silt planted to medium age vines between 15 and 22 years old. The crop was half the average size at harvest, further concentrating a wine that by nature is abundant. The ferment is done in concrete and aged in sixty percent new, forty percent second year French oak. I love that the Solengo has managed to retain its power and richness while displaying a sense of elegance, an obvious nod to the return to elegance and style at Argiano. Expect a savoury, spicy, black-fruit wine with notes of tobacco, minerality and dense supple tannins. You can drink this now, but waiting a decade would be the best option.
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- 93 points -
December 2021 (Vintage 2018)An element of wild herbs graces the black currant and black cherry flavors in this robust red, which is firm and compact on the iron- and tobacco-tinged finish, with a sense of grace. Needs time to absorb the tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Sangiovese. Best from 2024 through 2040.
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