Case Basse, Soldera

Case Basse, formally known as Azienda Agricola Case Basse di Gianfranco Soldera, is an Italian wine producer located in Montalcino, Tuscany. Gianfranco Soldera, a former insurance broker from Milan, purchased the property in 1972 when it lay uncultivated and abandoned, with the aim of producing exceptional Brunello. Having previously searched for a suitable property in Piedmont to make Barolo, Soldera recognised the extraordinary potential of the southwest-facing terrain at Case Basse and immediately began planting Sangiovese. The two vineyards, Case Basse and Intistieti, were established across 1972 and 1973 and remain the sole source of all estate wines.

• Estate located in Tavernelle, southwest of Montalcino, at 320 metres elevation on Eocene-origin soils rich in clay and minerals
• Two vineyard plots, Case Basse and Intistieti, together cover 8 hectares and are planted exclusively to Sangiovese
• Giulio Gambelli, one of Italy's foremost Sangiovese experts, served as consultant from 1976 until his death in 2012
• The property is adjacent to Pieve Santa Restituta, the estate acquired by Angelo Gaja in 1994

Soldera helped pioneer Brunello's modern era, founding Case Basse in 1972 and producing wines that became reference points for what Sangiovese could achieve in Montalcino. By the early 1980s his intensely concentrated yet highly aromatic Brunellos were already attracting serious attention, even as tiny production volumes kept his reputation confined to a small circle. By the 1990s, Soldera's wines were considered Holy Grail bottles by collectors worldwide. His fierce advocacy for 100% Sangiovese in any wine bearing the Montalcino name, his rejection of barriques, and his willingness to declassify or forgo entire vintages that failed to meet his standards set a tone for quality that influenced the entire appellation.

• Soldera strongly advocated that any wine declaring Montalcino on its label must be 100% Sangiovese, a position that put him at odds with some producers during the 2008 Brunellopoli controversy
• He famously despised barriques, describing them as tools for wines that lacked sufficient tannins and aromas from the grapes
• Production intentionally restricted to around 15,000 bottles per year, despite the 8-hectare vineyard being capable of producing up to 60,000 bottles annually
• Entire vintages were rejected or drastically reduced when quality was deemed insufficient, with as few as 6,000 bottles produced in difficult years

Soldera's winemaking was defined by patience, precision, and near-total non-intervention. Grapes are hand-harvested and sorted three times, with berries selected individually to ensure only perfect fruit enters the cellar. Fermentation occurs in large Slavonian oak vats using only indigenous yeasts, with no temperature control and no selected yeasts. Wines are then aged in large Slavonian oak casks for up to five years for the standard label, with Riserva bottlings receiving an additional year. The underground cellar, located 14 metres below ground and built entirely from natural materials without concrete, was designed by architect Stefano Lambardi to provide a stable, undisturbed environment for the wines. All wines are bottled unfiltered.

• Fermentation in large Slavonian oak vats using only native yeasts; no temperature control, no additions, no fining or filtration
• Standard Sangiovese aged up to five years in large Slavonian oak; Riserva receives an additional year, for up to six years total
• The underground cellar is 14 metres deep, constructed from stone and iron using only natural materials, carefully avoiding concrete
• No chemical fertilisers, weedkillers or pesticides are used in the vineyard; all vine work is done entirely by hand

One of the most distinctive aspects of Case Basse is the holistic ecosystem Gianfranco and Graziella Soldera built around the vineyards. Graziella, a botanist and landscape architect, created a two-hectare botanical garden on the estate featuring over 1,500 rose varieties sourced from around the world, along with rare bulbs, peonies, and irises. Hundreds of nests and beehives were established to shelter insect species that naturally predate on vine parasites, allowing the estate to forgo all pesticides. Ancient olive trees were restored, new fruit trees planted, and a pond and artificial lake created within the property. Soldera believed this complex, living ecosystem was inseparable from the quality of the wine.

• A two-hectare botanical garden contains over 1,500 rose varieties, many sourced internationally by Graziella Soldera, including Rosa noisettiana 'La Biche' discovered in Texas after a two-year search
• Hundreds of artificial nests and beehives support insect species that predate on vine parasites, eliminating the need for pesticides
• Soils composed primarily of clay and Eocene rock encourage deep root growth and mineralitly in the wines
• The southwest-facing position and extreme diurnal temperature variation produce a longer growing season than in other Montalcino villages

Soldera's principal wines were Brunello di Montalcino and Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, produced from the 1977 vintage (released 1982) through to 2006. In exceptional years, the entire production was declassified upward to Riserva, a designation used for 1983, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999, and for all vintages from 2000 to 2006. In minor years or from younger vines, Soldera produced the Intistieti, a 100% Sangiovese wine with a shorter barrel-aging period, made in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, and 1992. The Pegasos, an IGT Toscana, was produced once, from the 2005 vintage, from a barrel that Soldera judged mature after approximately three years. Since 2013, all wines carry the Toscana IGT/IGP Soldera Case Basse 100% Sangiovese label.

• Brunello di Montalcino Riserva produced in: 1983, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999; entire production was designated Riserva from 2000 to 2006
• Intistieti: 100% Sangiovese IGT produced in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, and 1992 from younger vines or lesser years, with shorter barrel aging
• Pegasos: a single 2005 IGT Toscana, bottled after approximately three years when one barrel matured unusually early
• From 2013 onward (beginning with the 2006 wine), all wines labeled Toscana IGT/IGP Soldera Case Basse 100% Sangiovese

On the night of December 2, 2012, former employee Andrea Di Gisi broke into the Case Basse cellar and opened the taps on ten large oak barrels, destroying 62,600 litres of wine spanning the 2007 through 2012 vintages. The estimated loss was around $6 million, equivalent to approximately 85,000 bottles. Di Gisi was arrested on December 18, 2012 after confessing to the act and was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison. The Brunello Consorzio offered to supply Soldera with replacement wine to sell, but he flatly refused, arguing it would not be fair to consumers. He resigned from the Consorzio and continued producing 100% Sangiovese under the Toscana IGT designation. Gianfranco Soldera died on February 16, 2019, at age 82, and the estate is now managed by his wife Graziella and their children Monica, Paolo, Mauro, and Valeria.

• December 2, 2012: Andrea Di Gisi opened barrel taps, destroying 62,600 litres across six vintages (2007 to 2012); sentenced to four years in prison
• Soldera refused the Consorzio's offer of donated replacement wine, resigned from the Consorzio, and declassified his remaining 2006 wine to Toscana IGT
• Gianfranco Soldera died February 16, 2019, at age 82; the estate continues under the Soldera family's direction
• The family, led by Graziella and the children, maintains all founding principles: 100% Sangiovese, natural viticulture, extended oak aging, and no filtration