Blackberry jam, cassis, grilled herbs and melted road tar meld together in the 2011 Solaia. Another super-exotic, racy 2011 from Antinori, Solaia is supremely beautiful. Mocha, espresso and sage are some of the many notes that add complexity. Hints of white truffle, lavender, smoke and licorice are laced into the exotic, racy finish. In 2011, Solaia has a dollop more of Cabernet Franc in the blend, added to give the wine a touch of freshness. Ripe and flashy to the core, the 2011 needs time to lose some of its youthful exuberance. At times, the 2011 could be easily mistaken for a wine from Napa Valley, such is its intensity.

A big, rich wine but there's lots of brightness and beauty at the same time. Shows licorice and asphalt. Full body with chewy tannins and a long finish. Terracotta, Tuscan dust and spice; balsamic too. This needs three to five years to soften. Intense finish.

Black cherry, blackcurrant, chocolate, fresh herbs and smoky oak on the nose and palate. Highly concentrated, silky and sweet, but also quite taut and energetic in the mouth, displaying perfectly integrated acidity and polished tannins. The subtle, slowly expanding finish features captivating lingering sweetness. Still very youthful: I'd forget about this wine in the cellar for another eight to ten years.

I'm not fully convinced by the 2011 Solaia. It is a hedonistic and heady expression for sure, but it doesn't come near the 97 points I awarded the 2010 vintage. In fact, the bouquet here is very ripe with thick tones of strawberry and blackberry folded within tobacco, leather and sweet spice. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc offer flavors of rum cake and candied fruit. There's a good amount of tannic firmness surrounded by thick extract and fleshiness.