About this wine
The estate's flagship wine, 100% Sangiovese sourced from the Case Basse vineyard in Montalcino. For three decades it was released as Brunello di Montalcino (and Riserva). In 2013, after Gianfranco Soldera resigned from the Brunello Consorzio amid the region's grape-blending scandal, the wine began appearing on labels as Toscana IGT, prominently marked '100% Sangiovese dall'Az. Agr. Case Basse.' Fermented with native yeasts in Slavonian oak vats with no temperature control, then aged for years in large oak casks, it is renowned for extraordinary longevity, purity and ethereal complexity — dried rose, red berries, forest floor and spice.
A profound, intellectual wine best approached with patience — decant several hours ahead and give it a decade or more of bottle age if you can.
Sommelier's Note
"Case Basse is not merely a wine — it is Gianfranco Soldera's uncompromising vision of what Sangiovese can be. Every serious student of Tuscan wine should taste it at least once."
Food Pairings
Classic with Tuscan roast meats, bistecca alla fiorentina, aged Pecorino Toscano and porcini or truffle dishes. The wine's high acidity and refined tannins also make it a striking match for slow-simmered wagyu shabu-shabu or grilled unagi with tare sauce.
When to drink it
Milestone celebrations, serious collector tastings, or an intimate dinner where the wine is the centerpiece.
Specs
- Grape Varieties
- Sangiovese
- Style
- Red
- Alcohol
- 13.5%
- Price Range
- $750-950 (recent vintages, ex-tax; older/library vintages significantly higher)
Terroir & Winemaking
Fermented with indigenous yeasts in large Slavonian oak vats without temperature control, following minimal-intervention, organic-leaning viticulture with no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Aged for several years in large old oak casks before bottling; historically labeled Brunello di Montalcino/Riserva through the 2006 vintage, then Toscana IGT from the 2006 vintage onward (released 2013).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Case Basse a Brunello di Montalcino?
- It was labeled Brunello di Montalcino (and Riserva) for roughly three decades, but since the 2006 vintage (released 2013) it has been declassified to Toscana IGT after Soldera left the Brunello Consorzio, even though the grapes still come entirely from the Brunello zone.
- What does Case Basse taste like?
- An ethereal profile of dried rose petals, wild red berries, forest floor, tobacco and mineral tones, with silky, refined tannins and remarkable freshness for its age.
- When is the best time to drink it?
- It typically needs a decade or more from the vintage to show its full range, and can continue evolving gracefully for several decades in good storage conditions.
- Why did Soldera stop using the Brunello di Montalcino designation?
- In 2013, following a grape-blending scandal in Montalcino, Gianfranco Soldera publicly criticized the Consorzio's handling of the affair and resigned, choosing to release his wine as Toscana IGT rather than remain part of a system he felt had lost its integrity.
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Talk to the SommelierMore wines from this producer
インティスティエティ
Intistieti
RedSangiovese
A single-vineyard bottling sourced from the Intistieti plot of the Case Basse estate — a parcel distinct from the main Case Basse vineyard. Produced only in select vintages, historically as a shorter-aged bottling between 1985 and roughly 1992-1995 (labeled Vino da Tavola or Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Intistieti depending on the year), and occasionally in later vintages such as 2005. 100% Sangiovese, made with the same natural, minimal-intervention methods as the rest of the estate's production, but expressing the slightly different character of the Intistieti soils.
ペガソス
Pegasos
RedSangiovese
An exceptionally rare, one-off bottling named after Pegasus, the winged horse that had already appeared as a motif on some of the estate's labels. The best-known release is the 2005 vintage: aged roughly three years in oak, it matured faster than expected, and this already-bottled stock was one of the few lots spared when a disgruntled former employee vandalized the cellar in December 2012, opening the taps on six vintages (2007-2012) of wine. Soldera released the surviving 2005 Pegasos as a symbolic gesture of resilience to supporters of the estate. 100% Sangiovese from the Case Basse vineyard.