(Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, Red) Ornellaia 2013 issues from a very ’Bolgherian’ vintage. Tempering sea breezes aided long hang times, vital given the sluggish budburst. The reduced crop was a blessing, as remaining grapes could eek out those marginal gains in flavour and aroma expression, and above all elegance. A beautifully compact Ornellaia with a very clear, moreish fruit expression above a nuanced - if yet to be fully pliant - tannic frame. That resolving inner tension and crisp insistence makes this lightly saline red as bracing and fresh as if it were bottled yesterday. 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 100 DECAmazing graphite and violet aromas with dark fruits. Medium to full body, ultra-velvety tannins and a long and beautiful finish. Formed and tight. I love the fresh ginger underneath it all. This has a cool profile to the wine. So approachable yet this has wonderful length.James Suckling | 98 JSThis wine will be released in May 2016. The 2013 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is an integrated and seamless blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Alex Heinz tells me that 2013 was a difficult vintage especially towards the early part of the growing season. It balanced out during the summer and allowed for steady ripening of fruit before the harvest. But 2013 was not as hot as 2011 and 2012 overall, and this edition of Ornellaia is beautifully tonic and shapely as a result. The bouquet is very developed in terms of aromas this year with beautiful notes of dark fruit, tobacco and spice. Those perfumes are just gorgeous. The mouthfeel is similarly intense with tannins that are still young, but are already silky and linear in nature. This vintage promises a long aging future.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThe 2013 Ornellaia continues to put on weight with time in bottle. I have tasted the 2013 three times over the last few months and watched it blossom over that time. Fresh, vibrant and tightly wound, the 2013 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. There is striking purity to the aromas and flavors, along with plenty of tension and enough energy to reward cellaring.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGThe inky colored 2013 Ornellaia is made from 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It was brought up in 70% new French oak, with the balance in once-used barrels, aged 18 months before bottling. Cassis, blackberries, graphite, toasty oak, and licorice notes all flow to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2013 that has beautiful purity and elegance, building tannin, and a great finish. It’s a beautiful wine that’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and shine for 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95+ JDVanilla, toast and smoke notes shade the black cherry and plum aromas, while the spicy oak theme carries over on the palate. A brash style that shows fine balance, but this will require time to find equilibrium. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2018 through 2029. 12,000 cases made, 2,000 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot, this opens with aromas of red currant, fragrant purple flower and exotic spice. The currant aroma carries over to the austere palate along with cranberry, chopped herb and French oak. With its backbone of firm acidity and assertive close-grained tannins, it already boasts finesse but will need years to soften and develop. Drink 2021–2028.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE
