One of Italy’s great wine estates. Soldera, making some mindblowing Brunello di Montalcino, in the south of Tuscany. I reviewed these rare gems a few years ago, after a fantastic lunch at The Square (here).

Apparently, Soldera’s winery has been vandalized, with the loss of six vintages (these are wines that age for a long time in large barrels). If this is confirmed to be true (I will update this post as I get more information), it is a tragedy.

Speculation is that (a) it is an organized crime job, for the failure to pay protection money, or (b) it is the work of fellow Brunello producers, after Soldera was thought to be one of the sources that exposed wine fraud in the region (Brunellogate).

Various sources: http://dobianchi.com/2012/12/03/soldera-vandalized-brunello/; http://www.intravino.com/media-notizia-2/un-atto-vandalico-distrugge-cinque-annate-del-brunello-di-gianfranco-soldera/

Note added later: I have heard from Soldera’s UK importer. The reports are true. Six vintages, 2007-2012, have been lost. There will be no more wine from Soldera until 2019. It’s a disaster.