Thirty years ago, innovative Italian winemakers started a revolution in Tuscany. It was set in motion by the Antinori family, when they launched a series of wines that was souped up with non-traditional varieties of grapes, thereby escaping Italian wine classification. These wines became known as Super Tuscans. To introduce them to the marketplace, producers were forced to label them as vino da tavola, a designation normally conveyed upon poor-quality wines with dubious origins. We rarely see vino da tavola in Hong Kong, as it is usually priced too low to make the shipping expense worthwhile, but, as in so many other respects, Super Tuscans are an exception to this rule.
These extraordinary wines took the world by storm and in 1994 were placed in a new class called Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT), which means their regional origin is guaranteed (85 per cent of the grapes must be grown in Tuscany) even if their blends are non-traditional.
Super Tuscans may have started with lowly classifications but they have always sported hefty price tags and garnered rave reviews that landed them in the cellars of savvy collectors.
Unfortunately, there are few older vintages available from local merchants. If you have enough money and time, buy current vintages through suppliers such as Summergate (tel: 2545 4100), Berry Bros & Rudd (tel: 2110 1680), Maxxium (tel: 2845 5995), Gin Gallery (tel: 2375 3337) and Watson's (tel: 2606 8828), and lay them down to drink 10 years (or more) from now.
Solaia 1988
Twenty-two years on, this wine is beginning to show its age. The fruit has a slightly stewed character but plenty of cherry flavour remains within a solid tannin structure that has good weight and concentration. But drink it soon as it is beginning to lose its panache.
Available for HK$5,588 from Summergate (tel: 2545 4100)