- 99 points -

Very 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.

- 97 points -

The nose is dark yet polished, like a new leather jacket, with aromas of blackberry, black olive, wet stone, dirt and playful violets. The palate mixes a more pronounced, sweeter streak of berries with an enduring metallic earthiness, before a chili chocolate finish. Powerful tannins and acid ensure ageworthiness.

- 96 points -

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.

- 96 points -

This 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.

- 96 points -

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.

- 96 points -

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.

- 95 points -

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.

- 95 points -

HOT BUY

This is very Cabernet, with its black currant, blackberry, violet, cedar and sandalwood notes uplifted by vibrant acidity and energetic tannins. Youthful and even a bit awkward now, yet the mineral-infused aftertaste goes on and on. Shows excellent overall balance and detail. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Sangiovese.

- 95 points -

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.

- 95 points -

Fascinating aromas of blackcurrants, orange peel, stone, minerals and blanched walnuts follow through to a medium to full body with firm and polished tannins that deliver a pleasant, caressing mouthfeel. But it requires more bottle age, as expected. This needs two or three years to show more, but it’s already very pretty.

- 94 points -

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.

- 94 points -

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.

- 94 points -

This is rich and structured with lots of crushed raspberries and milk chocolate. It's full-bodied, with chewy, polished tannins and a long finish. Very close to the excellent 2009. Needs a few years to soften: new wood is showing now and needs to come together.

- 93 points -

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. 

- 93 points -

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.

- 93 points -

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.

- 93 points -

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.

- 93 points -

Argiano's 2011 Solengo is a landmark wine that shows a super bright intensity threshold in the hot 2011 vintage. This is a full-bodied blend of 50% Cabernet, 20% Petit Verdot, 20% Syrah and 15 Merlot. The wine opens to dark intensity and an opulent style with thick, fleshy consistency and a firm tannic backbone. On the finish, the wine shows spice, dark chocolate, Morello cherry and pretty scents of grilled herb.

- 93 points -

This blended red made with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot and 5% Sangiovese is always a bit of a shocker, especially when tasted within the context of this report that focuses almost entirely on Sangiovese-based wines. Given this backdrop, the Argiano 2021 Solengo appears super extracted, oak-driven and overblown from all points of view. It's all too much in the most opulent way. Spicy oak tones of toasted cinnamon and clove cut straight through blackberry confit and crème de cassis. The fruit flavors are jammy and syrupy. This wine catapults you straight out of the Sangiovese stratosphere, and that's exactly what makes it so much fun.

- 91 points -

An intense, fruit-filled red, showing a smoky cast to the cherry, licorice, herbal and spice flavors, with a fine, lingering aftertaste. Though bracing, this is also solidly tannic and needs time for all the elements to integrate. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Petit Verdot.