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Soldera Casse Basse Intistieti 1988 is a full-bodied red wine produced in the Montalcino sub-region of Tuscany, central Italy. Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera, often simply known as Case Basse or Soldera, is an Italian producer established in Montalcino in 1972. The Case Basse vineyard encompasses a compact two hectares, while the second estate, Intistieti, spans approximately 4.5 hectares. Intistieti was a wine produced exclusively between 1985 and 1992, using grapes solely from the estate (100% Sangiovese), and adhering to their customary winemaking methods, albeit with shorter ageing in barrels. "At nearly thirty years of age, the 1988 Brunello di Montalcino remains bright, vibrant and full of life. Sweet red cherry and plum flavours are pushed forward, with deeper earthy, floral and spice notes that develop in the glass. An intriguing interplay of nuance and energy separates the 1988 from most wines in this range. It remains one of my favourite Soldera wines from the 1980s. This bottle is a bit softer than others have been, but the wine is still complete, super-expressive and inviting." Vinous, 2016
The late Gianfranco Soldera was a visionary producer of some the purest and most ethereal expressions of Brunello di Montalcino. A former insurance broker, Soldera purchased his Case Basse estate in 1972. Until his death in 2019 at the age of 82, he was a zealous guardian of its unique terroir and the wines it produced.
With his botanist wife, Graziella, Soldera created Case Basse as an extraordinary ecosystem, including a two-hectare botanical park with more than 1,500 unique rose varieties, and a habitat for insect species that predate on vine parasites – thus allowing Soldera to forgo pesticides in his vineyards.
Beyond terroir, Soldera believed that the most important element for creating truly great wines was time. In practice, this meant slow fermentations (for a month or more), solely of free-run juice only, in large old slavonian oak vats without temperature control, followed by extended maturation in the same vessels – lasting up to six years for the flagship riserva bottlings.
With their trademark structure, hedonistic richness and beguiling aromatics, the wines of Soldera are unmistakeable. To have the opportunity to taste one at the peak of its maturity (such as the exquisite 1990), is a rare pleasure.
