Col Solare

Col Solare was established in the Red Mountain AVA with its first vintage in 1995. Marchesi Antinori and Ste. Michelle set it up as a 50-50 joint venture, uniting two viticultural and enological cultures to produce Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain. The name is Italian for 'shining hill.' Marchese Piero Antinori chose Red Mountain as the location for the new Col Solare winery, and the dedicated winery on the estate vineyard opened in 2007. In June 2024 the partners announced that Antinori would take full ownership by buying out Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, in a sale covering the brand, the winery, the vineyard and the estate; the price was not disclosed. The Antinori family acquired full ownership of the estate in 2024. In announcing the deal, Piero Antinori, president of Marchesi Antinori, said: 'Our family has been fascinated by the unique terroir of Red Mountain AVA since the early 90s.' He linked full ownership of Col Solare with Antinori's 2023 acquisition of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in Napa Valley.

• 1995: first vintage of Col Solare, a 50-50 joint venture between Marchesi Antinori and Ste. Michelle
• 2007: the dedicated winery on the estate vineyard opened
• June 2024: Antinori agreed to buy out Ste. Michelle Wine Estates; the sale covered the brand, the winery, the vineyard and the estate
• 2024: the Antinori family acquired full ownership of the estate
• Antinori's estates outside Italy also include Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Antinori Napa Valley in Napa Valley, and Haras de Pirque in Chile

The winery names Stephanie Cohen as head winemaker. She joined Col Solare in May 2020 after working at wineries in California, New Zealand, Australia and Oregon, and was promoted to winemaker in June 2022. She manages winemaking from grape to bottle, working closely with the vineyard managers. Cohen says of the estate: 'I love the intimate relationship with the vineyard that the estate property provides.'

• Stephanie Cohen: joined May 2020; promoted to winemaker June 2022; head winemaker
• Piero Antinori: president of Marchesi Antinori at the time of the June 2024 announcement

The estate vineyard covers about 11 hectares (27 acres) on Red Mountain, planted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon. It was designed to the same specifications the Antinori family uses in its own estate vineyards in Tuscany and Umbria. The winery's vineyard map shows Cabernet Sauvignon in clones 02, 06, 08, 10, 21 and 191, alongside Merlot (clones 01 and 15), Cabernet Franc (clones 04a, 04b and 214), Malbec (clone 09), Syrah (clones 77 and 525) and a 0.49-acre block of Carmenere. The largest single blocks are Cabernet Sauvignon clone 21 at 3.96 acres and clone 02 at 3.86 acres. The Cabernet Sauvignons also draw on other Red Mountain sites: the 2021 Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon came from Quintessence Vineyard (82%), the Col Solare Estate (15%) and Shaw 32 Vineyard (3%), and the 2022 came from five blocks of Quintessence Vineyard.

• About 11 hectares (27 acres), planted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon
• Laid out to the specifications of the Antinori family's estate vineyards in Tuscany and Umbria
• Varieties on the estate map: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah and Carmenere
• 2021 Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon: Quintessence Vineyard 82%, Col Solare Estate 15%, Shaw 32 Vineyard 3%
• 2022 Tenuta Cabernet Sauvignon: 100% Quintessence Vineyard

The range comprises Col Solare, Tenuta, the Component Collection and the Collector's Society wines. In the Col Solare Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, and the 2022 is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc. Tenuta, Italian for 'Estate,' represents what the winery calls 'the most distinct and expressive lots' it crafts from Red Mountain; the 2022 Tenuta is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2021 Component Collection releases are a Cabernet Franc, a Malbec and a Syrah, and the Collector's Society releases have included Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Syrah, a red blend and a rosé.

• Col Solare Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon: 2021 is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc; 2022 is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc
• Tenuta Cabernet Sauvignon: 2022 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Quintessence Vineyard
• Component Collection 2021: Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Syrah
• Collector's Society: Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Syrah (2022 and 2023), Red Blend and Malbec (2021), Rosé (2024)

For the 2021 Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon, harvest began on 15 September. The grapes were gently crushed and gravity fed into small temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, given a three-day cold soak and daily pump-overs, then racked after secondary fermentation into 100% new French oak for 20 months before bottling. The 2022 Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon was picked between 8 October and 2 November, fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel with pump-overs and délestage, and aged 20 months in 100% new French oak. The 2022 Tenuta, harvested on 17 September, followed the same crush, cold soak and pump-over sequence and also spent 20 months in 100% new French oak.

• Gravity feed into small temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks (2021 Col Solare, 2022 Tenuta)
• Three-day cold soak and daily pump-overs; délestage on the 2022 Col Solare
• 20 months in 100% new French oak for the 2021 and 2022 Col Solare and the 2022 Tenuta

The winery presents its aim as joining 'winemaking philosophies from two regions to reflect Washington terroir with the style of Tuscany.' Its tasting notes give the 2021 Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon aromas of cherry, blackcurrant, violet and pencil shavings with sandalwood and caramel and rich, fine-grained tannins, and the 2022 Tenuta black currant, thyme and white pepper with hints of graphite and toffee and a savory finish.

• Stated aim: Washington terroir expressed with the style of Tuscany
• 2021 Col Solare (winery notes): cherry, blackcurrant, violet, pencil shavings; fine-grained tannins
• 2022 Tenuta (winery notes): black currant, thyme, white pepper, graphite, toffee

Red Mountain is a sub-appellation of the Yakima Valley, and both lie within the larger Columbia Valley in south-central Washington, near the town of Benton City. Designated in 2001, it covers 4,040 acres, making it one of Washington's smallest appellations, and it is one of the state's warmest and driest. Elevations run from 500 to 1,500 feet on broad, southwest-facing slopes. Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 60% of plantings. Night temperatures often drop by as much as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, helping preserve acidity, and the sandy loam and gravel soils, with high alkalinity and a rich calcium carbonate content, reduce vine vigor and give smaller berries.

• Sub-appellation of the Yakima Valley, within the Columbia Valley; designated 2001
• 4,040 acres; elevations of 500 to 1,500 feet
• Cabernet Sauvignon is 60% of plantings
• Sandy loam and gravel soils with high alkalinity and calcium carbonate

The winery is at 50207 Antinori Road, Benton City. Tastings include a feature flight of four wines, a private tour and tasting in the barrel room by appointment, and a Taste of Tenuta experience that pairs a moon car tour of the vineyards with a vertical tasting of Tenuta and Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon. The Collector's Society wine club ships three times a year.

• Address: 50207 Antinori Road, Benton City, Washington
• Feature flight tasting, barrel room private tour and tasting, and Taste of Tenuta
• Collector's Society membership: three shipments per year

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://colsolare.com/, https://colsolare.com/visit-red-mountain/our-story/, https://colsolare.com/acquire/, https://colsolare.com/visit-red-mountain/, https://colsolare.com/visit-red-mountain/experiences/, https://colsolare.com/membership/, https://colsolare.com/collection/component-collection/, https://colsolare.com/collection/collectors-society/, https://colsolare.com/product/2021-col-solare-cabernet-sauvignon/, https://colsolare.com/product/2022-red-mountain-cabernet-sauvignon, https://colsolare.com/product/2022-tenuta-cabernet-sauvignon. Owner group site: https://www.antinori.it/en/tenuta/estates-world/col-solare-estate/. Appellation body: https://www.washingtonwine.org/resource/red-mountain/. Secondary sources: Decanter (21 June 2024) and Wine Spectator (20 June 2024). Last verified 2026-10-19. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.