| Region of production: | Brunello di Montalcino |
| Winery Location: | Montalcino |
| Year Established: | 1972 |
Vineyard Holdings
There are 2 vineyards
- Casse Basse: planted in 1972 and contributed fruit only to the Rosso dai Vigneti di Brunello (equivalent at the time to Rosso di Montalcino) until 1990 when vine age was sufficient in the fertile site. 2 ha
- Intistieti: planted in 1973 and is the less fertile site of the two, hence it composing the Brunello before the Casse Basse site. 4.5 ha
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Brunello di Montalcino Riserva: Inaugural vintage 1983, but not made with consistency until 1990. As of the 2000 vintage all Brunello will be released as Riserva.
- Brunello di Montalcino: Inaugural vintage 1977.
- Intistieti: from younger vines or wines that do not meet Soldera’s standards for Brunello; spends four years (instead of five) in botti. Not necessarily from just the Intistieti vineyard and may also be sourced from the Casse Basse site.
- Pegasos: de-classified Brunello; only made so far from 2005 vintage
- IGT Toscana – all wines from 2006 onward as Gianfranco left the appellation
Average Total Production
- 15,000 bottles
Summary
Gianfranco Soldera purchased the abandoned land that would become Case Basse from sharecroppers in 1972. He and his wife, Graziella, set out to focus on sustainable agriculture – organic farming and never any pesticides or herbicides – throughout the entire 23 hectares of the estate. To develop a total ecosystem surrounding the vineyards, Graziella also created a two-hectare botanical park including an artificial lake, bird nests and over 1,000 rose varieties. Gianfranco is known as a staunch advocate for 100% Sangiovese in Brunello, and the estate grows Sangiovese exclusively. In 2013, Soldera withdrew from the local Consorzio and was in the news for having lost over 60,000 liters of wine after a disgruntled former employer broke into the cellars and drained multiple casks of wine.
Style & Vinification Techniques
Gianfranco strives for maximum ripeness through short pruning, green harvesting, grape thinning and leaf stripping. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts in large, Slavonian oak casks. Maceration lasts 14-25 days with frequent pumping over. Fermentation vats are not temperature-controlled, and the fermenting wines are monitored by frequent tasting and microbiological testing by the University of Florence. Wines are aged in botti for five years, then bottled unfiltered.
Producer Website: Case Basse (Soldera)