2018 Soldera Case Basse 100% Sangiovese

The 2018 Soldera Case Basse 100% Sangiovese is one of Tuscany’s most sought-after and characterful red wines, crafted from a single, rigorously farmed estate in Montalcino. This is not just another Sangiovese: it’s a pure, uncompromising expression of the Case Basse vineyard, bottled under Toscana rather than Brunello di Montalcino to preserve total stylistic freedom. In 2018, Soldera delivers a wine of remarkable clarity, perfume and finesse, with the kind of inner energy that has made the estate a modern icon of Italian fine wine.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the 2018 Soldera Case Basse shows a luminous, medium to deep ruby core with garnet highlights toward the rim—vibrant rather than opaque, reflecting its finesse-driven style. The nose is intensely detailed and layered: wild red cherries, pomegranate and blood orange mingle with rose petals, violets, dried herbs, anise, and a subtle forest-floor complexity. With air, more nuance emerges—sweet tobacco leaf, cedar shavings, tea leaves and a hint of balsamic savouriness. On the palate, the wine is crystalline and precise, more about length and texture than sheer weight. Juicy red and black cherry, crushed raspberry and orange zest unfold over a spine of refined, chalky tannins and vivid, mouth-watering acidity. There’s a delicate yet persistent structure, with flavours of savory spice, dried flowers, and mineral notes carrying through a very long, focused finish. The 2018 is already beautifully expressive but built to evolve; stored correctly, it has an excellent aging potential of 15–25 years, during which the primary fruit will give way to increasing truffle, leather, tea and sous-bois complexity while retaining its signature freshness.

Production
Case Basse is a meticulously tended estate in the southern part of Montalcino, planted on a mosaic of poor, stony soils rich in limestone and galestro that naturally limit yields and accentuate Sangiovese’s aromatic precision. The vineyard is farmed with extreme care and low intervention, with rigorous bunch selection and hand-harvesting to ensure only perfectly ripe, healthy fruit is brought to the cellar. Vinification follows the Soldera philosophy of minimal manipulation: spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in large, traditional oak vats, long macerations, and no shortcuts or technological ‘corrections’. The wine is then aged in large Slavonian oak botti, which allow a slow, gentle maturation and micro-oxygenation without masking the vineyard character, before being bottled unhurriedly and released only when Soldera deems it ready.

Food & Serving
This is a deeply gastronomic Sangiovese, best showcased with refined yet flavorful dishes. It excels alongside traditional Tuscan cuisine—bistecca alla fiorentina, roast lamb with herbs, wild boar ragù, aged pecorino, and porcini- or truffle-based dishes—but it also pairs beautifully with game birds, veal chops, slow-braised beef and earthy vegetarian plates built around mushrooms, lentils and root vegetables. Serve at 16–18°C (60–64°F) in large Burgundy or fine Bordeaux stems to emphasize nuance and aromatics. Decant gently 1–2 hours before serving in its youth to allow the nose to unfurl; for well-aged bottles, a shorter, careful decant just before service is recommended.

Producer
Soldera Case Basse was founded by Gianfranco Soldera in the early 1970s and quickly became one of the most revered names in Montalcino, known for an almost obsessive commitment to vineyard health and traditional, long-lived wines. Though originally bottled as Brunello di Montalcino, Soldera later chose to leave the appellation and label his wines as Toscana, prioritizing estate identity and independence over formal classification. From a small set of low-yielding parcels, the estate produces only a limited quantity of wine, all of it aged in large oak casks and released when the family considers it ready, not when regulations dictate. Soldera’s uncompromising vision and consistently high quality have earned the winery cult status among collectors and a central place in the conversation about Italy’s greatest and most terroir-transparent reds.