I fussed over scoring this wine more than I'd like to admit-tasting through three samples under different conditions at various intervals and testing my impressions blind against wines in its peer group. Most importantly, I tasted this 2016 vintage against the 2015 vintage over and over again. I confess to a few nights of restless sleep as a result. Ultimately, my decision to award 100 points to the 2016 Solaia came on impulse and with the most natural sense of purpose. I had also given the 2015 vintage a perfect score, and intellectually, it seemed impossible not to pick a favorite among these two stunning expressions. I will also state, outright, that the wines are very different, principally because the 2015 vintage shows more overall opulence and sweetness that extends to the pronounced textural richness of the mouthfeel. The 2016 vintage, on the other hand, is more chiseled and sharp with mineral shadings of campfire ash and graphite at the rim of its dark fruit. The mouthfeel is more streamlined and tight at its core, suggesting that the wine will unfold and soften beautifully with time. I feel like 2015 is the Dolce & Gabbana of the situation and the 2016 is the Armani Privé. The personalities of the two wines are distinct, yet my admiration for each is identical. Drink date: 2022-2050. Score - 100. (Monica Larner, robertparker.com, Sept. 19, 2019)

The 2010 Solaia rounds out this flight in style. Swaths of tannin give the 2010 a real sense of explosive energy and vibrancy that only builds with time in the glass. A whole range of dark aromas and flavors give the 2010 its brooding, inward personality. Tasted from magnum, the 2010 is very young, but its pedigree is unmistakable. Drinking window: 2024-2050. Score - 98. (Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, Sept. 2020)

I was blown away by the 2011 Matarocchio (100% Cabernet Franc). From 15-year-old vines planted some 60 meters above sea level on the Tuscan coast, this wine is absolutely stunning, delicious and simply unforgettable. Only produced in 2007, 2009 and 2011, this third edition shows towering aromas of sensuous dark fruit, leather and tobacco. If Cabernet Franc is the darling grape of this appellation, Matarocchio is a reason why. The mouthfeel is penetrating and powerful, but seamless and silky smooth at the same time. The tannin management is excellent. This is one to keep in the cellar. Drink date: 2016-2038. Score - 97. (Monica Larner, robertparker.com, Oct. 30, 2014)

The 2001 Solaia, far superior to the overrated 1997 (to which I also prefer the 1999 and 1994) is a classic example of central Tuscan Cabernet at its best, ruby-purple in color, warm and explosive in its expression of black currant fruit, tobacco, tar, and graphite, superbly concentrated and dense on the palate but balanced and shapely at the same time and with a noble austerity and grip on the finish which resembles the best of Bordeaux. The wine is a sure bet for another two decades of superb drinking. Drink date: 2006-2026. Score - 96. (Daniel Thomases, robertparker.com, April 23, 2006)

The drought and heat of 2022 pushed vines in Tuscany to their limits, and the outcome in many cases are wines of density and concentration but with a vein of freshness - and that's exactly what we see here in the 2022 Solaia. It opens with cool aromas of damp earth, woodland berries, red fruit coulis and a waft of balsamic herbs. In the mouth it is immediately very fleshy, almost voluptuous but holding its shape. Balsam-infused black cherry and dark berries are deepened by chocolatey wood, while succulent acidity brings out the top end and leads to a long, bright, energetic and fresh finish which is full of promise for the future. Drinking window: 2025-2047. Score - 98. (James Button, decanter.com, July 7, 2025)