2019 - Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia, Ornellaia, Bolgheri

A classic Bordeaux blend coupled with Tuscan generosity. Charcoal, campfire smoke, black fruits and rich spiced mint leaf. Firm tannins and plenty of punch then pulls up on the finish to show attractive freshness and lift, giving a wine that starts with muscle and ends with finesse. Director Axel Heinz, oenologist Olga Fusari.

A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2019 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia shows a greater degree of focus and detail compared to the previous vintage that I tasted at the same time. This wine reveals the sharp contours and etched character of the Cabernet Franc, especially with black licorice and black pepper. The results are linear and pure. Elegant fruit notes of blackberry and dark currant add to the thick layering of the wine. I tasted this sample not long after bottling, and we can expect the wine to hit the market in September 2021.

The 2019 Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is delicate, refined and exceptionally beautiful. Floral accents and mid-weight structure inform a Serre Nuove that is all finesse. Dark red berry fruit, licorice, incense, cedar, aromatic dark spice and leather all meld together in an understated, fabulous Serre Nuove that delivers the goods. The 2019 is especially aromatic for a Merlot-based wine from the Tuscan coast. Give it a few years to come together. (Originally Published in March 2022)

Medium body with fruit that combines blackcurrant with something more bitter, almost juniper-like. Very fine but mouth-coating tannins and quite a bit of alcohol heat on the finish. Very tasty, but not quite as polished as its bigger sibling. (RH)