Dark ruby red color. Currant, Christmas cake, mint and spices. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, long finish. This is balanced and refined. It's layered and beautiful. This is still tight and not giving much. A few more years will yield a lot. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese.--1997 Italian blind retrospective. Best after 2009. 7,000 cases made. -JS
The 1997 Solaia is awesome. Sweet, open aromatics lead to a rich, full-bodied expression of dark cherries, plums, menthol and spices. This sensual, full-bodied wine remains youthful and full of life. The 1997 is a great Solaia. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2017. - Antonio Galloni
For many years, the 1997 Solaia was super-concentrated. Actually, it still is pretty intense, but over the last few years, some of the baby fat has begun to melt away, revealing a wine with tons of nuance. The 1997 clearly belongs in this flight of milestones. This is another memorable Solaia with no signs of fading.- Antonio Galloni (12/2013)