2017 Solaia Magnum

The 2017 Marchesi Antinori Solaia has an inky black core with a young-looking, vivid purple rim. Wow! The nose is bright, pure, exuberant, and joyful with precise blackberry and blackcurrant aromas. This is such an appealing wine, focused on ripe expressive fruit, unhampered by too much oak. I adore its open, cheerful, accessible style. There is of course lots of cream, vanilla, and sweet spice notes but they are integrated beautifully into the rest of the wine. The palate is a little more firm and less covered by lush concentration but stylistically it feels closer to a sophisticated but lighter version of the 2015. The oak does not dominate; instead, it allows the fruit to find its full expression. There is a delightful, tangy, savory element on the finish. This 2017 Solaia is not overpowering but instead focused, pure and vibrant.
98/100 Susan Hulme; The Wine Independent