Argiano dates back to the 16th century. The nearly 120 acres of vineyards are planted to Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah. The wines, both Brunello di Montalcino and Super Tuscans, have routinely received outstanding scores. In 1992 Argiano was acquired by the Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano.
Solengo, which is Tuscan for “lone wild boar”, is the product of the combination between Tuscan soil and French grape-varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Syrah.
This bottle was decanted for an hour and served with a marinated flank steak on a warm night in Seattle on the eve of July Fourth.
Dark red in color. 13% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, asphalt, anise and rose petals. Medium body with exceptional acidity. Elegant, sophisticated and vibrant belying 19 years of bottle age. Cherries, cassis, herbs and licorice on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish with suave, silky tannins. Super showing for this wine and a step above my last try almost five years ago. Probably best over the next 1-3 years.
My rating: 95 points.
I brought several bottles of this vintage back from Italy after visiting the Cinque Terra in 2001 and the label will always have a special place in my cellar. Current vintages can be found for around $75 and are well worth the hunt.
You had better luck than I on the 1999 Solengo. It was clearly once a great wine, but the bottle I had had much diminished fruit that had tasted “browned” if you can accept that as a descriptor. It was not turning acidic, nor was the color fading. We could not finish the bottle which sat open on the table for two hours. A 2002, a much lesser vintage, never had a chance. Provenance on both was unknown, although storage for at least 5-8 years was professional.
I would definitely not give up on the producer, and would love to try a 2010 now.
Sounds like storage may have been an issue. I was the original owner of my bottles and they had been stored at 53-54 degrees for the last 17 years.