Ornellaia of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

This strong series of 2004s continues with the gorgeous 2004 Ornellaia. A lively dark ruby, it is a vibrant effort bursting with expressive aromatics and layered, well-delineated fruit, showing much purity on the palate and closing with a long, finessed finish. Readers hoping to catch this wine’s full array of nuances will have to wait at least another few years as the wine remains quite primary today. This exquisite effort is not to be missed. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2019. 95 points Wine Advocate # 169 Feb 2007

The opulent 2003 Ornellaia (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot) presents a dramatic contrast to the 2004 in its super-ripe, open nose and jammy dark fruit. Ample and warm on the palate, it is clearly the product of a very hot vintage, yet it shows notable freshness along with much persistence, great overall balance and a lingering note of sweetness on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018. 93 points, Wine Advocate # 169 Feb 2007

Subtle aromas of currant, coffee and blackberry, yet rather coarse on the palate just now. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Needs some time to mellow. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. To be released spring 2007. Best after 2009. 92 points, The Wine Spectator, October 2006

Deep, saturated ruby. Wonderfully sweet aromas of blackcurrant, violet, smoky plum and milk chocolate, complicated by nuances of graphite and menthol. Thick and powerful in the mouth, with a penetrating sweetness of fruit accentuated by superrich milk chocolate and espresso flavors. Highly polished tannins and sound acidity leave the mouth basking in a creamy, long finish. This is the first vintage in which petit verdot was included in the blend (the fruit comes from the seven-year-old Olivo vineyard), and you can actually pick up its presence, especially on the floral nose. 92 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep/Oct 2006

The 2002 Ornellaia (65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot) is an astoundingly good wine considering the vintage. A vibrant dark ruby/violet, it offers suggestions of herbs, tobacco, earthiness and dark red fruit with excellent length and notable structure. Although it doesn’t have the concentration or length of the best vintages, it displays terrific overall balance and is undoubtedly a huge overachiever for which General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini and his entire team deserve much credit. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2017. 92 points, Wine Advocate # 169 Feb 2007

Aromas of currants, plums and hints of fresh herbs, rosemary in particular. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a subtle, refined finish. Very nice indeed for the vintage. Best after 2006. 90 points, The Wine Spectator, October 2005

Medium-deep red. Very intense flavors of dark plum, asphalt and gunflint, with a touch of herbal smokiness. The wine's fine-grained texture and harmonious acids bring its fruit and mineral flavors into focus, but this is a delicate, restrained version of Ornellaia. Finishes smooth and adequately long. Offers excellent potential in the context of the vintage. 89 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep/Oct 06

Very brisk, smooth, seductive nose. Smart, sweet, nose that convinces the taster, in the way of a Bordeaux first growth, that only the finest French oak has been used. Gentle, winning texture but pretty expensive (£575 in bond per dozen from John Armit). Already a fine and satisfying mouthful displaying mild, Lafite-like charm. There is quality and vigour here and the wine should have a long life. A good wine to counter 2002’s reputation in Italy… Drink now-2015 18 points, jancisrobinson.com, March 2002

The 2001 Ornellaia is easily the finest in the history of the estate, warm and spicy on the nose with superbly focused plum and black currant fruit, much complexity and elegance in its concentrated and supple body, and a velvety, enveloping close. It will easily drink well for another two decades. Drink 2006 - 2026 96 points, Wine Advocate # 164 Apr 2006

Incredible class here, with ultrafine tannins and layers of currants, berries and lightly toasted oak. Full-bodied, yet all in harmony and beauty. Beautifully sculptured. Excellent length. Not quite the 1998, but clearly classic. Best after 2005. 95 points, The Wine Spectator, October 2004

Saturated ruby-red. Flamboyant, upfront aromas of black- and redcurrant, raspberry, strawberry, chocolate, mocha and violet pastille. Big, rich, sweet and deep, with superripe, distinctly Mediterranean flavors of blueberry, strawberry and chocolate, kept fresh by sound acidity. Conveys an impression of powerful extract. Finishes with superb, noble tannins and mounting flavors of red fruits, licorice and chocolate. This extremely young wine's solid structure is currently hidden by its sheer chewy sweetness of fruit. This was the first vintage made by Duroux, and it struck me as especially strong in extract if a bit youthfully disorganized. But note that I tasted it about nine months before it was scheduled to be released. 94(+?) points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep/Oct 2004

Inky flattering full and smooth though it does belong more to Bordeaux than to Tuscany! Great freshness – great intensity – great wine. Drink 2007-17 18 points, jancisrobinson.com, October 2005

The 2000 Ornellaia is notably different than the 1999, less concentrated in color due to the high temperatures of the growing season, significantly more alcoholic, but with much sweet black currant fruit, velvety and balanced flavors, and a round, smooth finish. Rather forward for a wine of its type, it should nonetheless provide fine drinking until 2016-2018. 91 points, Wine Advocate # 152 Apr 2004

Lots of currant and spice, with hints of fresh herb. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a pretty balance. Delicate finish. Slightly austere. Give it time. A slightly held-back style for Ornellaia. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2006. 12,980 cases made. 90 points, The Wine Spectator, October 2003

Full red-ruby. Very ripe nose offers roasted meat, smoke, tobacco, underbrush and mint. Superripe, silky and lush, with a slightly roasted fruit character. Not a hugely complex or deep vintage for Ornellaia, and likely to evolve relatively quickly, but the wine's uncommonly lush, velvety texture is more than worth the price of admission. Strong cherry fruit emerged with aeration. Almost California-like in its opulence and early appeal. Finishes with big but ripe tannins that are finer than those of the '97. 93 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar Sept/ Oct 2004

Very, very ripe, heady, extremely attention-grabbing nose. Glorious opulence. Ink and satin on the palate and definite sweetness. There's lots of fine tannin but the wine has the fruit to carry it. Pretty damn good with a very slightly dry end. Drink 2005-2017 18.5 points, jancisrobinson.com, March 2002

The 1999 Ornellaia demonstrates immediately the superiority of the vintage in its dark, blackish color, powerful and expansive nose of cassis, graphite, tar, and Mediterranean herbs, and its rich, concentrated, and deep flavors, sizeable but very supple as well. Drink: 2005-2022. Ornellaia has been through some significant changes over the past several years. First with the departure of Lodovico Antinori and the arrival of the new owners, Mondavi and Frescobaldi, then with a double changeover of winemakers, first Andrea Giovannini (now at Monsanto) from 1999 to 2001, then Thomas Duroux, trained at Bordeaux and then the oenologist for the unsuccessful Mondavi Languedoc project. High quality, however, has been a constant – these have been Bolgheri’s best wines, along with those of Le Macchiole, over the past five years, and there is no indication of any change in the level of ambition. 94 points Wine Advocate # 152 Apr 2004

Wow. Currants, berries, cherries and minerals, but all subtlety. Full- to medium-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Complex wine. However, a significant price hike, which follows the purchase of the estate by the Mondavi and Frescobaldi families, is disappointing. Best after 2005. 94 points, The Wine Spectator, September 2002

Full ruby-red. Youthful, perfumed nose hints at cherry, flowers, licorice and lead pencil. Dense, brooding and powerful, with superb depth and clarity of cherry, cassis, mineral and floral flavors. An aristocratic, backward, gripping Ornellaia that finishes with explosive length and building tannins. If the '98 is feminine, this is distinctly masculine. Still an infant. 94(+?) points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar Sept/ Oct 2004

Very, very deep crimson and a very healthy sheen. Deep, concentrated nose and still quite hidden depths. This wine is much the most backward of these four vintages. Although initially it too seems opulent and headily seductive on the nose, it is bound by a tight corset of tannins at the moment. Very taut structure whose grainy tannins put it slightly out of balance for now. If you do plan to open a bottle, make sure you eat something substantial and chewy with it. Drink 2006-2016 18 points, jancisrobinson.com, March 2002

Made in a relatively structured style for the normally succulent Ornellaia, the dense saturated ruby/purple-colored 1998 offers up aromas of pain grille, spice, smoke, black fruits, and graphite. Full-bodied, concentrated, exceptionally pure, and long, it will be at its finest between 2005-2018. Very impressive, but it requires patience. Drink 2005 - 2018 93 points, Wine Advocate # 137 Oct 2001

A cool and sleek Tuscan red, with tarragon and fresh sage aromas, blackberry and cherry undertones. Full-bodied, with a wonderfully silky palate of fine tannins and a long, fruity finish. Very sophisticated and reserved. Best after 2004. 13,330 cases made. 96 points, The Wine Spectator, November 2001

(Saturated, bright ruby-red. Great nose offers a full range of aromas) cassis, raspberry, bitter chocolate, licorice, Asian spices. Dense, lush and sweet; a superripe Ornellaia that almost miraculously remains elegant. The raspberry and chocolate character follows through in the mouth. Finishes very fresh, with big, broad, chocolatey tannins and a late note of leather. Turned a bit more tannic with aeration, but this is still a rather feminine style of Ornellaia. This vintage offered perfect conditions, noted Duroux: a hot August, and dry conditions in August and September. 94 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar Sept/ Oct 2004

Deep crimson without as much evolution of colour as the 1997. Burley, briary nose with marked acidity. Quite aromatic. Much more backward than the 1997. Big, round fruit with a great hit of ripeness on the palate. Much more ambitious and long-term than the 1997 (Duroux, like others, argues that the 1998s are better balanced than the super-ripe 1997s in the Maremma). This one will run and run. Drink 2005-2015 18.5 points, jancisrobinson.com, March 2002

Probably the finest (and most sumptuous) Ornellaia yet produced, the 1997 has it all. A dense purple color offers up smoky espresso and jammy black cherry aromas wrapped in new oak. Full-bodied, opulent, thick, and juicy, this low acid, seamless classic can be drunk now and over the next 15+ years. Drink 2000 - 2015 94 points, Wine Advocate # 130 Aug 2000

This Tuscan gem is black in color, with complex aromas of black currants, minerals and wet earth. Full- bodied, with lots of tannins, but very polished. Long, long finish. Super well-made?a great Ornellaia. Best after 2004. 96 points, The Wine Spectator, July 2000

Bright, youthful red-ruby. Very ripe, complex aromas of black fruits, violet, exotic spices, licorice and humus. Then hugely full and sweet in the mouth, but with a faint greenness. Finishes with big, slightly rustic tannins-less fine-grained than usual for this estate. A classic wine from a hot year in which the ripening came in a rush. 91 points, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar July/August 2000

Healthy, nuanced crimson with a ruby rim. Open, broad, opulent nose. Extremely ripe. Classic round polished tealeaf bouquet. Some sweetness to this wine. I could be fooled into taking it for a Napa Meritage blend on the nose, but on the palate there is more grip, and a certain graininess of tannins that would, I hope, steer me back to Europe and, with luck, the Maremma. Mouthfilling, very correct and lovely balance. Drink 2003-2013 18.5 points, jancisrobinson.com, March 2002

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