This famed SuperTuscan wine (a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend with 10% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot) is the flagship cuvée of Ornellaia, one of the most prominent estates in the small Bolgheri region and owned by the Frescobaldi family. Like 2011, it was a dry growing year in 2012, and it wasn’t until scattered showers hit the vines in August and September that the ripening was propelled, resulting in fine overall ripeness. Each variety was vinified separately before being moved into 70% new barriques. Vincenzo Arnese; Complex notes of ripe blackcurrant and dark cherry on the nose, with walnut, cedar and smoked charcoal. The palate is fresh and vibrant, showing rich yet integrated tannins. It will also improve with time. Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW: Amazingly refined cassis, blackberry, ink and dried flower aromas, with a touch of spice. On the palate it’s deep, complex, multi-layered, silky and long. Impressive. Amanda Barnes: There are seductive notes of crème de cassis with some cigar box and liquorice on the nose. A very inviting blend with a silky fruit profile and a mineral tension to the fine tannins and fresh acid. Nominated by Ronan Sayburn MS
Decanter Magazine | 99 DEC
A tight and silky red with compacted fruit and tannin texture featuring blackcurrant, mushroom and bark undertones. Full body, firm tannins and a minerally finish. Excellent structure and mouthfeel. A cooler style of Ornellaia, bringing it back to the classicism of this celebrated region. Bordeaux blend. Better in 2018.
James Suckling | 97 JS
The 2012 Ornellaia has a deep garnet/ruby color, and sensual nose of sweet earth, pencil shavings, bay leaves, and blackberry. The palate is exuberant with olive tapenade, black cherry pastilles, and grilled game with freshness that lifts the finish. Simply wonderful. The blend is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot.
The Wine Independent | 96 TWI
The 2012 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is very similar to the 2011 Ornellaia that precedes it. These were both hot vintages, but 2012 saw the heat towards the end of the growing season. In fact the harvest in 2012 came two weeks earlier than average. This seamless blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot (27%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (7%) shows some of the roundness and softness of that summer heat. The wine’s density and extraction are spot-on and the bouquet is beautifully shaped by dark cherry nuances with spice, leather and tobacco at the back. There is a gorgeous sense of richness and plushness here. Some 160,000 bottles were produced. This edition of Ornellaia is more immediate in character and less suited to the decades-long aging that cooler vintages can affront so successfully.
Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RP
Features complex aromas of dark fruit and spice right out of the gate, with intense flavors of rich black cherry, blueberry and spice. The firm yet fine tannins add support as this builds to a long finish and aftertaste. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Better than previously reviewed. Best from 2018 through 2032. 2,150 cases imported.
Wine Spectator | 93 WS
The 2012 Ornellaia was perhaps a little overawed by the mature Solaia and Sassicaia in the flight. Pretty backward and unresponsive on the nose, I find this a bit simplistic by comparison, with blackberry and bilberry aromas and a touch of VA. The palate is medium-bodied with dense tannins, muscular at the moment, moody and surly towards its grippy finish. I wanted to shout, “Lighten up, man!” Maybe it is going through a dumb phase?
Vinous Media | 90 VM
