Argiano Argiano Solengo 2022 750ml

The nose is dark yet polished, like a new leather jacket, with aromas of blackberry, black olive, wet stone, dirt and playful violets. The palate mixes a more pronounced, sweeter streak of berries with an enduring metallic earthiness, before a chili chocolate finish. Powerful tannins and acid ensure ageworthiness.

The 2019 Solengo seduces with its richly decadent display of vanilla and mocha-tinged dark fruits and spices, which are wonderfully lifted by minty herbal tones and white smoke. This enters the palate like weighted velvet, smooth and fleshy at first, yet lively, as mineral-tinged black currants mix with fine-grained tannins, clamping down with youthful poise. Like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, this tapers off incredibly long and staining, with echoes of licorice beneath an air of cedar and tobacco; yet somehow, through it all, the palate is left watering for more. It will be many years before the 2019 is ready to show its best, but it will certainly be worth the wait. The Solengo is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Sangiovese that spends eighteen months refining in a combination of 60% new to 40% second-pass barriques. (Eric Guido)

Opening to a thick, blackish appearance, the Argiano 2019 Solengo is definitely more concentrated and tightly stitched together next to the 2018 edition. This is a supersized blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot and 5% Sangiovese that reveals the extra concentration of the vintage, and the important use of new and used French oak (for 18 months of aging), to create a texturally important and aromatically intense expression. The vines are planted in alluvial soils rich in sand and calcareous marl at 280 to 310 meters in elevation. The grapes are farmed organically and are relatively young, at up to 22 years of age. Plummy fruit and ripe blackberry segues to spice, tar and tobacco. This 2019 vintage shows better tannin management compared to the more astringent 2018 edition. Some 34,000 bottles (heavy glass bottles) were released.

The 2023 Solengo unleashes a captivating bouquet of crushed violets, lavender, wild berries and exotic spices, all complemented by a whiff of sweet smoke. The balance here is unreal, cooling the senses with tantalizing acidity as ripe red berry fruits swift across a seamless wave of silky textures. A web of fine-grained tannin flexes on the senses as the 2023 reveals a saturation of citrus-laced blackberries and graphite mineral tones, all beneath an air of blue inner florals. Despite its youth and structure, the 2023 is already pleasing on so many levels. That said, patience will be rewarded. This is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot and 5% Sangiovese.

This wine shows bright and precisely defined aromas of cassis, leaves and raspberries. Jammy notes are supported by crisp acidity and a full body, with toasty flavors and elegant tannins. Drink or hold.

The 2022 Solengo slowly evolves in the glass with a collage of crushed blackberries, dried rosemary, shavings of blood orange and graphite. It's silken in feel, displaying amazing density offset by a crunhy core of minerality and riveting acidity that further enhances its tart wild berry fruits. This finishes with hulking structure, leaving edgy tannins to mingle with blackcurrants and a cascade of violet inner florals, while tapering off with staining length. Bury this deep in the cellar. The 2022 Solengo is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot and 5% Sangiovese. Drink 2029-2042.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Petit Verdot and 5% Sangiovese, the Argiano 2023 Solengo shows ripe fruit and vinous aromas of cherry skin and fruit preserves. This was not an easy vintage—especially across the different varieties in the blend—and fruit selection was crucial to achieving quality. There is a firm, almost stemmy edge, with extra bulk on the full-bodied finish. Notes of cracked white pepper, bay leaf and wild blackberry emerge on the close. First released in the early 1990s, Solengo represents Argiano’s super Tuscan expression, blending international varieties with a small but meaningful Tuscan imprint. Merlot has been phased out and replaced by Cabernet Franc in this vintage.

This is rich, dark and brooding, offering black currant, blackberry and plum fruit shaded by toasty oak. The new oak settles in with aeration, adding a resin note, while accents of iron and tobacco emerge on the finish. Shows fine balance and length. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Sangiovese. Best from 2027 through 2038. 539 cases imported.

This is bright and exudes black currant, blackberry, pomegranate and wild herb flavors. Vanilla and iron notes add interest as this builds to the long, fruit-stained aftertaste. Overall, this is balanced and not for the faint of heart. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Sangiovese. Best from 2029 through 2045.