2005 Soldera (Case Basse) Pegasos
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Tasting notes
The 2005 IGT Pegasos is a wine Soldera produced only once and will probably not bottle again now that all of his wines are sold as IGTs. Soldera explains that Pegasos is a cask of Brunello juice that matured faster than the others and that was therefore bottled earlier than is typical here. That would make Pegasos a rough equivalent to the Intistieti Vino da Tavola (not to be confused with the Intistieti Brunello) Soldera made a few times in the 1980s. The 2005 Pegasos remains a somewhat compact, slender wine that has not really grown or changed much since it was first released. Occasional shades of Soldera brilliance come through from time to time, but otherwise this is a pleasant but not especially exciting wine.
Critic scores
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2005 Pegasos is not a new wine, per se, but rather a barrel of 2005 Brunello-designated juice that Soldera thought was ready to bottle and drink soon rather than later but not up to the qualitative standards of his top Brunello labels. It is a beautiful, silky wine graced with perfumed dried cherries, flowers and minerals, all of which come together in a delicate, feminine expression of Sangiovese. Ideally the wine is best opened an hour or so in advance to allow for some of the small imperfections in the bouquet to blow off. The 2005 Pegasos has come together quite nicely over the last few months and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here. After several hours the delicate, spiced bouquet and ethereal fruit is at times reminiscent of Pinot Noir.
The 2005 Pegasos is not a new wine, per se, but rather a barrel of 2005 Brunello-designated juice that Soldera thought was ready to bottle and drink sooner rather than later, but not up to the qualitative standards of his top Brunello labels. It is a beautiful, silky wine graced with perfumed dried cherries, flowers and minerals, all of which come together in a delicate, feminine expression of Sangiovese. Ideally the wine is best opened an hour or so in advance to allow for some of the small imperfections in the bouquet to blow off. The 2005 Pegasos has come together quite nicely over the last few months and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here. After several hours, the delicate, spiced bouquet and ethereal fruit is at times reminiscent of Pinot Noir. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. Gianfranco Soldera continue to make some of the most compelling wines in Montalcino. A visit to this estate is an absolute must for anyone who seeks to understand the essence of one of the world's greatest wines. I don't say that lightly. A recent bottle of Soldera's 1998 Riserva more than held it own when tasted alongside some of the greatest wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, in fact it showed far more complexity and sheer character than many of those far more celebrated bottles. Importer: Domaine Select, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799
About the producer
Soldera is one of the most highly rated, fiercely collected wines of Italy. The winery is based in the Brunello di Montalcino, however the estate is no longer labelled as a Brunello, following a fall out with the consortium. Made from 100% Sangiovese, the wine is currently bottled as a Toscana IGT.