The leading Austrian food and wine magazine tested Europe’s best Merlot in its February-March issue. The 2021 vintage Solus was among the nine highest scoring Merlots, in the company of the 2021 Masseto, the 2023 Le Pin and the 2022 Petrus.
From an initial circulation of 15,000, Falstaff, founded 45 years ago, now has a circulation of nearly 150,000 and is available in Austria, where it’s based, as well as in Germany and Switzerland.
Europe’s best Merlots were judged in the February-March issue, and Solus 2021 scored 97 points out of 100! It finished in the leading pack, among the top nine!
“When Solus is tasted alongside Masseto, that’s always a special occasion for us,” Andrea Gere asserts. “After all, the inspiration for Solus was Masseto. In 1998, my father had the privilege of tasting Masseto in the Ornellaia cellar, accompanied by Tibor Gál, who was then the head winemaker, while it was still barrel-aged. At that moment, he asked himself what it would take to produce such a top Merlot in Villány. The answer came in the form of our first Solus, the 2000 vintage.”
This is how the magazine’s authors described Solus 2021: ‘Black heart cherries, blackberry preserve, liquorice and mocha roasted aromas, a touch of vanilla, a hint of Périgord truffle. Very powerful and juicy, dark fruit nuances, wrapped in velvety opulence. The wine shows impressive fruit, coupled with ripe, velvety tannins, great length, some nougat, extract sweetness on the finish. Undoubtedly great ageing potential.’
Solus is a top-shelf Gere wine, a pure Merlot, harvested exclusively from the Kopár vineyard. This area lies at an altitude of 120-150 metres above sea level, with a slope of 14-30%. As with Attila, Kopar and Villányi Franc, the raw material for this wine is the first to be selected from the barrels of the best vintages, as these show the highest quality that we can offer expressed through the unique character of the vintage.
To see the test click HERE.
