Ornellaia, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2020

Rich plum in colour, this has heady fruit-filled aromatics, where you are taken straight to the heart of the action. Plenty of classic balsamic notes of Ornellaia, along with oange zest, fennel, damson, black cherry, damson. Juice runs through the muscular frame, with tannins that are plentiful but supple, and freshly cut herbs studded throughout draw out the flavours. A long harvest from end of August to beginning October. 70% new oak, with the blend taking place after 12 months ageing, then left for a further six months in barrel, and 12 months in bottle before release. Axel Heinz's final full vintage at the property, and it's a stormer. The pandemic vintage also, with a dramatic start in Italy, but as with all wine estates, the upside was the focus on the vineyards, with the whole team in place throughout the growing season.

Tasted from barrel, the 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia will be presented in the fall but won’t hit the market until spring of the following year. This is a beauty, so generous and opulent with fully seamless transitions. The wine’s traditional blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with tiny percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, although this warm vintage makes due with a pinch less of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit is selected across 107 hectares of Ornellaia vines, although the estate recently purchased an additional eight hectares next to Guado al Tasso in Castagneto Carducci, with terraces and vines aged between 15 and 28 years old. This broad and generous expression has a beautiful quality of fruit and oak that speaks to the very best of Italian winemaking.

Black bramble fruit on the nose, heady, expressive, forward and open. Aromatic and inviting - on the riper, jammy side. Lithe and supple, this has an energy and weight giving plush tannins but with an austere, mineral grip. A curious combination but one that serves to give a round, interesting mouthful with both balsamic black and sweet blue fruits with touches of wet stone, cola and liquorice. Dark and brooding, a little sombre right now, clearly powerful with concentration and you can tell it's been well worked - feels controlled but still quite tense and constricted. The overall texture is sublime and I do love the dark sticky liquorice and bitter orange zest but this isn't quite giving the wow factor. Nice layering, linear and pure, tannins a touch dry on the finish. Refined and austere. Has a touch of ripe jamminess that detracts a little from the charming elegance you know this wine can have. 5% Petit Verdot completes the blend.