About Solaris Magnifica
- Style
- Red
- Grape Varieties
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
- Price Range
- ¥22,000
- 2019 vintage, 750ml
- Alcohol
- 14%
Solaris Magnifica is the pinnacle of Manns Wine's flagship Solaris series, released only in exceptional vintages — just nine releases (2002, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019) since the Solaris brand launched in 2001. Rather than following a fixed recipe, the winemaking team at Komoro Winery blends barrel-selected lots from Solaris' top single-site cuvées (historically Higashiyama Cabernet Sauvignon and Komoro Merlot) only when the vintage yields fruit of truly outstanding quality, then ages the wine in French oak for roughly 20 months before releasing it after a minimum of five years' bottle maturation. The 2019 release — the ninth vintage and a 25th-anniversary bottling for the Solaris brand — broke from tradition as the first 100% Merlot Magnifica, an assemblage of barrel-selected Merlot from two contrasting Nagano terroirs: volcanic-soil Komoro (roughly 650m elevation) and marine-sediment Ueda-Higashiyama (roughly 550m elevation). It won Silver at the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2026.
Only nine vintages have ever earned the Magnifica name since 2001 — when Manns' winemakers say a year is worthy, this is the proof, and the 2019 is a landmark: the first all-Merlot expression of Japan's most exacting red.
New to wine?
Manns' rarest and most expensive red — a special-occasion bottle for those ready to explore what Japanese Bordeaux-style reds can achieve at the very top.
Food Pairings
A structured, silky-tannin red built for slow-cooked or roasted dishes: aged Wagyu, venison, or duck confit. Its firm but polished tannins also suit hard, aged cheeses like Comte or aged Gouda.
When to drink it
Milestone celebrations, fine dining, cellar collectors seeking Japan's top-tier reds
Terroir & Winemaking
Grapes are hand-harvested with strict yield limits and rigorous berry sorting, destemmed, fermented in stainless steel, and aged roughly 20 months in French oak barrels before bottling; release follows a minimum of five years further bottle age. Composition is not fixed — the winemaker assembles barrel-selected lots from Solaris' top cuvées only in outstanding vintages, so blend ratio (including the varietal makeup) varies by release; the 2019 vintage is a 50/50 assemblage of Komoro Merlot and Ueda-Higashiyama Merlot, the first 100% Merlot edition of Magnifica.
About the producer
Manns Wine Komoro WineryEuropean-variety heart of Nagano's Chikuma River Valley小諸市, 長野県 · Founded 1973Visit the producer page →More wines from Manns Wine Komoro Winery
- Chikumagawa Asama MerlotRed · Asama Merlot
- Chikumagawa BlancWhite · Chardonnay de Corail
- Chikumagawa Muscat Bailey ARed · Muscat Bailey A
- Chikumagawa RougeRed · Merlot · Cabernet Sauvignon · Muscat Bailey A
- Chikumagawa RyuganWhite · Long Yan
- Solaris Chikumagawa MerlotRed · Merlot
Frequently Asked Questions
- What grape varieties are in Solaris Magnifica?
- Magnifica is not a fixed-recipe wine — the winemaker blends barrel-selected lots from Solaris' top single-site cuvées (historically a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Bordeaux-style blend from the Higashiyama and Komoro vineyards) only in vintages judged exceptional. The 2019 release broke new ground as the first 100% Merlot Magnifica, combining Merlot from Komoro and Ueda-Higashiyama.
- Why is Solaris Magnifica released so rarely?
- Magnifica is made only in vintages the winemaking team judges truly exceptional, then aged roughly 20 months in French oak and held for a minimum of five years in bottle before release. Since the Solaris brand launched in 2001, only nine vintages have ever carried the Magnifica name: 2002, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
- What does Solaris Magnifica 2019 taste like?
- A deep, garnet-black-edged red with aromas of black cherry, cassis liqueur and plum compote layered with cedar, fern, clove, leather and roasted notes. On the palate it shows ripe fruit balanced by firm acidity, silky yet substantial tannins, and a long, structured finish — remarkably powerful for a 100% Merlot.
- What food pairs well with Solaris Magnifica?
- Its firm, silky tannins and dry structure suit roasted or slow-cooked red meats such as aged Wagyu, venison and duck confit, as well as hard aged cheeses. In Japanese dining it pairs well with sukiyaki or simmered beef dishes.
- Which winery produces Solaris Magnifica?
- Solaris Magnifica is produced at Manns Wine's Komoro Winery in Nagano Prefecture, using Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the Chikuma River Wine Valley, including the Komoro and Ueda-Higashiyama vineyard sites.
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