“Decanter”

CASE BASSE SOLDERA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG (1999)

Visitors tasting at Case Basse immediately learn the house rules from outspoken proprietor Gianfranco Soldera, a former insurance broker from Milan. “Here at Case Basse, you are only allowed to spit out bad wine. So you do not spit Case Basse”. Fortunately, you don’t want to. His luminous, delicately hued and ethereal Brunellos are a cult favourite. The greatness of Soldera’s wines begin, he says, with meticulous care in the vineyard. As well as ruthless grape selection, he has generated his own eco-system by creating havens for insects and birds who feed off parasites, allowing him to avoid using pesticides. The wine is an exceptionally elegant expression of Sangiovese with rich fruit and floral notes.