The estate

The history of the Soldera Case Basse winery began in the early 1970s. Gianfranco and Graziella Soldera nurtured a project to produce a high-quality natural wine and knew they would only be able to do this if they could find a terroir with certain key features. They found these features at Case Basse: an estate of over 23 hectares, at 320 metres of elevation, in the southwestern area of Montalcino.

“When we arrived in Montalcino in 1972, and we saw such lovely, soft, gentle hills, we fell in love with the place immediately”. — Gianfranco Soldera

A hilly soil of volcanic origin, good drainage and rich in minerals, but with poor fertility; a dry climate with lots of sunlight. The natural environment that grows and thrives around and within the vineyards is crucial for guaranteeing the quality of Soldera wine.

In order to safeguard the Case Basse ecosystem, they tend ancient olive trees and eight hectares of woods, where majestic centuries-old oaks stand tall. Thanks to the passion, dedication and care that Gianfranco and Graziella have given to those lands, a very high-quality natural wine has been produced at Case Basse since the mid-1970s, which is esteemed all over the world.

Wood and garden

In addition to the vineyards at Case Basse, there is also a garden of over two hectares, where Graziella Soldera (a botany and landscape architecture enthusiast) grows hundreds of species. Among them are some antique roses, her favourite flower, which she has searched for all over the world. For instance, the Noisettiana rose La Biche, which she finally found in Texas after searching for two years, or the Climbing Pinkie, brought in from Australia.

In addition to roses, shrubs, perennials, enchanting peonies and beautiful collectible irises, the Soldera garden houses rare bulbs of extraordinary beauty, such as the Tulipa Maureen tulip, which adorns the Renaissance-design flower beds, dominated by the Boxus.

Numerous insects and several other species of animals find a pleasant home in the Case Basse botanical garden, in which there are also flowers and aquatic plants. These include the splendid Marliacea Albida water lily and Nelumbo Nucifera, whose leaves sparkle with drops of crystalline water. A framework of olive, cypress, linden and Melia Azedarach (or “bead tree”) trees forms the background to the gardens, which are harmoniously immersed in the Mediterranean scrub.

In the Case Basse botanical garden, you can also admire the Lilium Soldera, which glows in all its splendour at the start of summer, when in full bloom. The breeder decided to name it Lilium Soldera when the spectacle of such a successful new creation reminded him of the taste of a wine that had given him an unforgettable thrill.

In addition to the “Al Sole” (“In the Sun”) and “Sottobosco” (“Undergrowth”) gardens, the “White Garden” is also worth a mention: it is the favourite haunt of “nocturnal pollinators”.

Soldera’s philosophy

From a production point of view, Soldera’s philosophy involves a completely natural approach to vine-growing and winemaking. At Case Basse no weed killers or other chemical products are used, the soil is fertilized exclusively with organic substances and the vine rows are worked by hand.

Soldera only use grapes grown in their own vineyards, 100% Sangiovese grape variety. The size of the vineyards is limited (10 hectares in total) to ensure that work on the plants can be done by hand and that the harvest, also done manually, can be done quickly. Grape ripeness is carefully assessed thanks to collaboration with research institutes. Grape bunches are carefully selected firstly in the vineyard and then again in the cellar, so that only healthy, ripe grapes are destemmed, keeping the berries intact.

A final scrupulous selection is done on the berries themselves, which are checked one by one to see if they are intact and ripe. This production method, applied both to grape growing and the harvest, leads to a very low annual yield of extraordinary quality.Fermentation is completely natural: it takes place in large Slavonian oak vats, thanks to native, spontaneous microorganisms and without the use of artificial yeasts.

The complex processes of nature are supervised by contrasting the experience gained through decades of observation with daily analyses of fermenting must carried out by research institutes. The Case Basse cellar is 14 metres below ground and was built using only natural materials and no concrete.

The Soldera cellar is a place made for wine, “a womb destined to welcome and protect something precious” to use Gianfranco Soldera’s own words.

“I produce on average 15,000 bottles a year. But I drastically reduce the number if the vintage is not up to scratch due to bad weather”. — Gianfranco Soldera

Ageing takes place in large Slavonian oak barrels; during this period the wines from different vintages are regularly tasted and analyzed to measure their chemical, physical and microbiological parameters. The natural wine ageing process is continually monitored thanks to close collaboration with research institutes, which enables us to establish the best moment to rack and bottle the wine.

The bottled wine rests in the cellar for a few months, then the bottles are labelled, packed and dispatched. The care that accompanies the production of Soldera wines doesn’t end until the bottles arrive on the table. It is the moment of truth, the moment when the winery’s mission is fulfilled: to guarantee its connoisseurs an exclusive and memorable experience.

Attention to detail

Gianfranco Soldera studied each and every detail that makes tasting the best possible experience; from production, right through to putting the wine on the table, carefully choosing the most suitable bottle, cork, packaging case and shipment method to protect the wine’s quality. The lovely 75-cl Bordeaux bottles have a deep punt, a long neck and weigh twice as much as more common bottles (750g compared to 300/350g).

These features were designed for optimum wine storage. Their very dark colour is also important for protecting against light. The appearance has also been taken into consideration: Graziella Soldera wanted the bottles to be wider at the shoulder than the base, so as to resemble a ballerina’s silhouette. The closures chosen are very high-quality 26/49 mm cork, with every element carefully selected for a perfect match with the inside of the bottle neck.

The “Soldera glass” has been designed and produced specifically for Case Basse. It is made without traces of lead, with the ideal shape and size for enhancing the wine’s aromas.

The recommended serving temperature for Soldera wine is between 17 and 18 degrees centigrade. Another way to get the best out of Soldera wine is to keep it in the bottle, without decanting it, and appreciate all of its evolutions over the following hours. If it is a recent vintage, you only need to open the bottle shortly before tasting it.

A great wine should always be paired with great food, without limits.

Our packaging

Behind our packaging there is a well-thought-out research process and many questions that have led us to choose an outer casing of cardboard with a polystyrene core. We have chosen to protect our bottles with packaging consisting of two parts, in two materials.

An outer cardboard casing, sealed with tape and staples, which finishes off and protects the packaging further, like a shell; inside, an expanded polystyrene (EPS) core: despite its light weight, it is extremely durable and surprisingly eco-friendly.

The excellent performance of polystyrene guarantees the utmost protection. Polystyrene is a material that can absorb shocks caused by impacts, falls and external stress: thanks to its molecular structure of 98% small air cushions; it is also an excellent insulator and protects from temperature changes.

Impact protection is also guaranteed inside the packaging, thanks to special compartments for the bottles: they are kept still and upright, and safe during transport.

The polystyrene has excellent resilience against mechanical stress, it is waterproof, repelling humidity and water, it is inert, it doesn’t rot or mould, it is non-toxic, it doesn’t produce dioxins during combustion, it is not harmful and is 100% recyclable.

For us, it is the best material for protecting our wine.

According to the LCA study (which assesses the environmental impact of transformation, use and disposal processes of materials), polystyrene is without doubt the best material among those used in the packaging industry for its light weight, impact resistance and thermal performance.

Very little water and energy are required to produce it, less than for cellulose pulp. Its light weight significantly reduces CO2 emissions during transport, one of the parameters in assessing environmental impact. If correctly disposed of (it should go in the plastic bin, see table), EPS is 100% recyclable and can be reused indefinitely.

Before disposing of our polystyrene packaging, you can reuse it as a container for transporting wine, or as a wine cellar for storing it. In this case, we recommend a well-ventilated area, with at least 70% humidity and a constant temperature between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius.

The Soldera logo

The symbol of the Soldera Case Basse logo is an ancient Greek dolphin.

The idea came from the Italian painter Piero Leddi, who also designed the Soldera wine label. In ancient culture, the dolphin was the sacred animal of Dionysus (Bacchus for the Romans), the God of happiness who taught man how to grow grapes, the God of wine who had a positive significance for many archaic cultures.

The image designed by Piero Leddi is a registered trademark owned by the winery and is based on an image on a Greek plate dating from several centuries B.C. which inspired the painter and symbolizes the letter ‘S’ of the Soldera brand.

Tradition and research

Past farming experience teaches us to follow the rhythms of nature and to develop a particular instinct for its processes. Research and technology are integrated into this tradition, subjecting natural evolutions to rational tests, studies and experimentation. Right from the beginning, natural winegrowing at Case Basse has been supported by studies and research thanks to which the winery can boast the production of a very high quality natural wine.

The research themes explored at Case Basse are varied: from studies on climate change to microbiological analysis of wines, which has been carried out for many years by the researchers of “FoodMicroTeam”, a spin-off of Florence University, under the supervision of Prof. Massimo Vincenzini. Over the years, many different collaborations have been set up with various research institutes. In 2010, Gianfranco and Graziella Soldera, with Professor Mario Fregoni, set up the International Soldera Case Basse Award for Young Researchers to support the work of young people.

Soldera today

After Gianfranco Soldera passed away in February 2019, the family carried on the business according to the founding principles and values of Case Basse.

This vision is shared with a team of professionals who collaborate with their own skills and distinctive characteristics towards the perfect success of the final result, thanks to the commitment and passion they dedicate to the winery day after day.

In fact, the excellence of the product according to nature, enhancing the ecosystem and garden, investing in studies and innovation and supporting young researchers, all make up the winery’s DNA. Graziella Soldera, Monica with Paolo, Mauro with Valeria, will strengthen this character today and enhance it in the future with renewed passion, each of them enriching it with their own personality.