This fourth flight brings us into what I consider a real Golden Era for Solaia that started with the 2004. A young, potent wine, the 2006 Solaia out of magnum still needs quite a bit of time. Even so, its towering stature is evident. A rush of blackberry jam, grilled herbs, espresso, licorice and spice builds as the 2006 shows off its explosive energy and drive.

A clarity and brilliance to this Solaia now with plums, light chocolate and meat. Full body and round and soft tannins. Juicy and delicious. Just right now where it shows the fruit and light tertiary qualities on the nose and palate. Excellent.

Displays loads of mint, eucalyptus, currant and meat on the nose. Full-bodied, with masses of fruit, yet reserved and structured. Mouthpuckering now from all the tannins, but this will give incredible pleasure in years to come. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2014. JS

The estate’s 2006 Solaia is a big, powerful offering loaded with ripe blackberry jam, herbs, minerals and French oak. Like all of the 2006s from Antinori, the Solaia remains extraordinarily dense and primary. Readers will have to be patient with this wine and give it plenty of bottle age before the full range of its aromas and nuances blossoms fully. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026.

Aged 12 months in new French oak. More youthful than developed – juicy, almost jammy black fruit. Greater complexity on the palate though, with a creamy texture backed up by plenty of very fine tannin. It’s very charming now – but hasn’t reached its peak of development, and really deserves more age. (RH)

Pretty cold, wet start so there was a late flowering. Very hot July, cooler August with regular rains. September and October enjoyed an Indian summer for the quite-late harvest. Sangiovese was picked from the beginning of October, the Cabernets in mid October. Short harvest, just two weeks whereas it’s generally up to 24 days. This was the last year they did malo in new oak. Since then, malo is done in old oak which makes the wine more approachable, the fruit purer and less tannic. This was also the last vintage with the blend done just after malo. Now they wait a bit longer. Rich and concentrated with a hint of sweet oak on the nose. Sweet palate and a bit of heat on the end. Just a little scrawny on the finish. Quite grippy still but it became gentler in the glass. (JR)