Available: 2021 Solaia Joins the Exclusive 100-Point Club

This is the first 100-point rating from Italian wine specialist Vinous and only the third vintage in Solaia’s history to receive a perfect 100-point score from the most influential critics*.

The new 2021 Solaia is a sensational vintage that has already secured its rightful place in wine history. Naturally, it’s a captivating choice for wine enthusiasts, especially for those interested in Italian wines, but it’s also exceptionally attractive as an investment.

Read the article here and judge for yourself.

*Vinous, Wine Advocate, and James Suckling

Investing in One of the Original Super Tuscans

As part of the Antinori dynasty, Solaia ranks among the five original Super Tuscans – a term for wines that broke with tradition and today encompass some of not only Italy’s but the world’s finest and most celebrated wines.

The original five Super Tuscans are Masseto, Solaia, Sassicaia, Ornellaia, and Tignanello – all icons on the international wine stage. Here’s a chance to invest in one that has now joined an exceptionally coveted club.

Just How Big is a 100-Point Score?

If you’re a wine lover or a regular reader here, you likely already know that a 100-point score from one of the world’s most influential critics is a significant achievement. But how significant is it really? We took a deep dive into Wine Advocate’s database to put this into perspective.

Wine Advocate has reviewed no less than 54,120 Italian wines, and of those, only 36 have achieved the magical 100 points (with only one white among them). Of these 36, eight were awarded to three of the original five Super Tuscans: Masseto, Sassicaia, and Solaia – three for Masseto, three for Sassicaia, and two for Solaia.

This means that each Italian wine with a 100-point score represents only 0.000018% of all Italian labels reviewed by Wine Advocate. And if we measured it by bottles produced rather than labels, that figure would be far lower.

Has Solaia Been a Good Investment?

The short answer is yes – Solaia has been a solid investment. Across vintages from 2006 to 2015, all of which have been on the market for at least five years, the average annual return has been 7.3% over the past five years, according to Liv-ex.

However, the 2021 vintage is anything but average. With the 100 points from Vinous, this release enters a different league with potential to match.

Since this is the first time Solaia has received 100 points from Vinous, we must look to the last release with 100 points from Wine Advocate to find a Solaia of comparable prestige. The average offer price for 2016 Solaia on wine-searcher.com at release was about €255*. Over the roughly five years since then, its price has increased by 71%, or an average annual growth rate of 11.3%.

Running the same calculation with the 2015 vintage, which also scored 100 points from Wine Advocate, shows a 139% increase over six years, equivalent to an average annual growth of 15.6%. Notably, both the 2015 and 2016 vintages are still in the early stages of their optimal drinking windows, which Wine Advocate estimates will last until 2050 for both.

The 100-point Solaia wines have thus proven to be highly valuable assets. Now is the time to get in early on this new top scorer.

*Price per bottle excluding customs, excise, and VAT, in whole cases and in perfect condition.

How Small is the Production of Italy’s Best Wines?

So, why has Solaia been a strong investment, and why does it also appear to hold promise for the future?

The price development is primarily driven by two factors: supply and demand. The world’s best wines are generally in demand, and Solaia certainly fits this category. As for supply, Solaia is produced in relatively limited quantities – on average, only 55,000 bottles per vintage. By comparison, Sassicaia produces around 180,000 bottles, Ornellaia 144,000, and Tignanello 320,000. On the other end of the spectrum is Masseto – one of Italy’s most expensive and exclusive wines – with a production of only about 30,000 bottles.

Solaia seems to hit a sweet spot here.

And speaking of sweet spots, your investment price is now €265*. In comparison, the lowest price on wine-searcher.com currently stands at €280*, while the average offer price across 77 global merchants is €329*.

* Price per bottle excluding customs, excise, and VAT, in whole cases and in perfect condition.

RareWine Invest’s Opinion

The 2021 Solaia marks a milestone in Italian wine history, once again showing why the great Super Tuscans continue to make waves on the global wine scene. As only the third Solaia to receive the perfect 100 points from the world’s leading critics, this vintage occupies a unique place among Italy’s most prestigious wines.

With its exclusive production balancing rarity and quality and an expanding international reputation, the 2021 Solaia is a prime opportunity for those wishing to invest early in a vintage that will undeniably become a classic of the future.

If you want a part of this historic release, now is the time to invest, with a competitive price and long-term value poised to rise with the wine’s maturity and demand. The 100-point sisters of the 2021 vintage have set the stage for its short-term performance, and there is every reason to believe that the 2021 vintage will follow suit. However, the greatest potential undoubtedly lies in the long term.