Azienda Agricola Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera, commonly referred to as Case Basse or Soldera, is an Italian wine producer located in Montalcino, Tuscany, producing highly priced wine declared under DOCG Brunello di Montalcino. Its owner is Gianfranco Soldera.
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History
Gianfranco Soldera, a former insurance broker from Milan, bought the Case Basse property in 1972, at the time in a run-down state, with an aim to produce exceptional Brunello. The property is adjacent to the estate Pieve Santa Restituta, acquired by Gaja in 1994.
Since 1976, the sangiovese expert Giulio Gambelli was retained as consultant, until his death in 2012.
When tasting at Case Basse, you are not allowed to spit out any wine. Soldera is also obsessed with the right glasses: tasting his wines with him at a restaurant can only be done if they have his specially designed glasses on hand.
Gianfranco Soldera is a strong advocate of the opinion that any wine declared with Montalcino on its label should be a 100% Sangiovese.
2012 winery vandalism
On December 2, 2012, the Case Basse winery was broken into and the taps of the barrels of the entire Brunello production from vintages 2007 to 2012 were opened, causing its destruction. In excess of 600 hectolitres (16,000 US gal) of wine, or ca. 85,000 bottles, were lost, to an estimated value of at least $6 million. No bottles or other valuables were stolen.
Initial speculation centered around a theories that the vandalism was in retribution for Soldera's role in the 2008 "Brunellopoli scandal", but on December 18, Siena police released details of the arrest of former Case Basse employee Andrea Di Gisi who eventually confessed to the sabotage.
Production
The combined area of the two vineyards Intistieti and Case Basse extends 8 hectares (20 acres). While there could be produced sufficient fruit to produce 60,000 bottles per year, yield is kept so low as to keep the annual production at ca. 15,000 bottles, or in difficult years ca. 6,000.
Although not officially organic every possible care is taken in the vineyards. With the encouragement of his wife, Graziella, a passionate botanist, Soldera created an eco-system on the estate, including a two-hectare botanical park where they have more than 1,500 unique rose varieties and numerous other flowers and trees. The couple also built hundreds of nests and beehives that provide shelter for predator species allied in the battle against dangerous vine parasites. This allows Soldera to forgo pesticides and other chemicals in his vineyards.
Soldera ferments in wooden vats with no temperature control and no selected yeasts, and ages his Brunello in large Slavonian oak casks for up to six years. He despises barriques, as they are “only for deficient wines that didn’t get enough tannins and aromas from the grapes”.
In good years, Soldera's entire production is designated as Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (produced in 1983, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999). Soldera produced in minor vintages or from his youngest vines a table wine called Institieti (produced in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992). In 2005 the firm released an IGT Toscana wine called Pegasos, made with 100% sangiovese. Soldera recently released a 2006 IGT Toscana simply named Soldera, made with 100% sangiovese, that had already been bottled before his cellars were vandalized.