THE OLD AND NEW WORLD UNITE WITH CABERNET SAUVIGNON… THE RIBBON IS CUT AT RED MOUNTAIN IN WASHINGTON STATE: MARCHESE PIERO ANTINORI AND TED BASELER, OWNER OF CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE, CELEBRATE COL SOLARE

At Red Mountain in the state of Washington, the Col Solare Winery (fruit of a collaboration between the Antinori family, who have produced wine in Tuscany since 1385, and the Chateau Ste. Michelle, the oldest and most acclaimed winemaking company of the Columbia Valley) has recently come to life. A ceremony held on April 12th represented the coronation of a dream shared by two wine producers: the unification of the aesthetic concept of their two different realities, the old and the new world, with the prospect of producing “state of the art” wine.
The idea of constructing a company designed and concentrated entirely at Col Solare was formed in order to best exploit the potentials of a wine and to create something truly prestigious. The company’s first red (a 1995 vintage) was tried for the first time by Baseler and Antinori in 2000. Numerous sites had been considered before Baseler proposed Red Mountain to Antinori, which is one of the most celebrated sub denominations of the Columbia Valley, best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon.
The new company reflects the characteristics of the two parent companies: the vineyards have been planted according to the criteria used by Marchese Antinori in Tuscany and following the natural profiles of the territory, creating a sort of fan shape in front of the company. Col Solare is a blend composed of various red varietals, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, joined with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Syrah. These different grapes were planted according to their particular needs for light, which is different for each type.
The enologist is Marcus Notaro, who is working under the direction of Renzo Cotarella, general director and head enologist of Antinori, and Doug Gore, senior vice president of winemaking at the Ste. Michelle Estate. Each vintage by Col Solare is created by this team of enologists through tastings held at least every three months.
The winery and vineyard, which can be visited by appointment, even offers guests a breathtaking view: situated high on Red Mountain, it dominates over Mount Adams, Mount Rainier and Horse Heaven Hill.
Full of emotion and pride, Marchese Piero Antinori and Ted Baseler, president, CEO and owner of Ste. Michelle Estate, made the following comments: “We are happy to have consecrated” – explained Antinori – “this new company with our main goal: making the reds of this area in Washington characteristic and prestigious wines. Our family has long been fascinated with this ‘unique terroir’ and the growing conditions at Red Mountain. Today is an important day for us”. Ted Baseler continued, “This is a great day for us and our partners. Our companies share a passion for quality and for wines that offer emotion. The newly created Col Solare incarnates this passion”.
Gioia Bazzotti