A savory wine, driven by oak imparted aromas, especially vanilla and chocolate and nutmeg. Herbal too. Fruit is reticent to appear, it’s in the background. It’s a restrained, cagey wine. Tannins are fine and silky. Finish is long but not impressive.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pronounced nose intensity with coffee, vanilla, chocolate, black fruits, cassis, toast. Medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin. Long finish. Drink now and will improve with ageing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 2 hours, this wine was so elegant from STF! Hints of tobacco, dark fruit, anise and earth dirt the 2015 did not disappoint and would drink this all day every day. Excited to see how this evolves over time but YOLO drink it now!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A really good vintage for Ornellaia. Plenty of rich dark fruits in a smooth elegant package. There is a lovely spice component on the luxurious finish. In mid-age and should improve off its perfect balance. 92+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decant 1 hr. w/NY. WOW - So good. Great nose, good first glass. Ate with perfect New Yorks. Steady quality through last last glass then escalated higher. Justifies decanting 2 hrs. early & deserves benchmark status. Highley recommend. Would buy again. Solid 95.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really needed the two hour decant then it fell together beautifully and revealed a rich and complete wine journey of red and black fruits. Plush and deep and delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Half bottle, decanted 2 hours. The nose shows a lot of dark fruit, tobacco, some spice, but not a lot of tertiary development yet. The palate is silky with medium tannins and a very long finish. Very structured and alive. This is really good right now but will be fantastic with some more time and should keep for two decades or more. I will try to hold off but it will be hard to resist.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The bottle was opened 2 hours before drinking and we have been at the table for about 3 hours. This note was taken from the last (and best!) glass. We had this together with much less known La Leggenda from Querce Bettina from the same vintage (Sangiovese + Cab. F. blend). A very interesting comparison! See my note on that wine as well.
Deep ruby with some purple at the rim. Full aromas of blueberry some boxwood and bayleaf and a hint of mushrooms. Full bodied with chewy-smooth tannins and balanced acidity. A very long finish follows through nicely but turns slightly bitter. Still rather young and vibrant but integrated enough to be drinking great right now! Drink now - 2030
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Oh wow. After an hour slow ox double decant at room temp this was so plush and gorgeous !! Tasted blind like a l’evangle. Full dense, silky, expressive juicy chocolatey cherry and blackberry notes, amazing. Plateau for 2-3 hours. Then an hour later (5 hours from opening) it tensed up and fruit dropped and tannins dried.
Dark fruits and berries are dominant, some menthol notes, dark chocolate, dry wood and some fine graphite notes in the background. Very nice! Medium (+) to full bodied with a lovely medium acidity. Grainy tannins, not integrated yet. Incredible deep structured and a great complexity. Feels very tight and closed in the moment. Very long and savory finish. A fantastic wine which just needs a few more years to develop. It has all it needs to be a future legend, it’s just not there yet. 94 points for now but it has a huge potential. Drink from 2026 - 2038. (IG)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep,.dark fruited, with notes of menthol, earth, graphite and dark chocolate. Full-bodied and powerful, almost creamy in mouthfeel, with medium-high acidity and pretty high tannin that is very good quality. Still a baby in terms of evolution, this will need another 5-10 years to fully come together. Great potential though. (95-97)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Too young. Sure, it can be enjoyed now; reveals itself more on the nose than the palate. Of course that's not saying too much for as nice as the nose may seem, it's obviously holding back. So, knowing this wine for 20+ years, I say don't you dare open a bottle anytime soon - this needs time to unfold. BIG, black and red fruits, loads of spice, a hint of soil. HOLD. For its full potential, it's highly recommended
Solid wine. Nice classy scents like vanilla, cloves and cherries. Pretty juicy and refreshing with a lingering tannin finish. Flavours of cherries, plums, and wood. Hits all the right bells for being tasty. I’m not sure it’s gonna improve much with time but I’ll revisit in 5 years to see what’s happening.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted five hours based on notes. Beautiful young Supertuscan with light tannins and a cornucopia of fruits, mocha, charred earth all delicately balanced. Super wine, long life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely brilliant after a 4 hour double decant. Ripe, accessible, delicious, with warm soft tannins and glorious texture and length. Impeccable, and will just get better over time. Needs air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Terrific balance in this wine already. Red and dark fruits, some spice (?cinnamon), but also hinting at some earthiness. Tannins are present but not intrusive. A delight to drink already, this wine is going to get even better with some more time in the cellar. Outstanding.
1 hour decant on Seabourn Drank young for a super Tuscan Bordeaux blend. , The wine is a little tannic but elegant. There’s toastiness from the oak mixed with a nice mix of darker berries Hour two it opened up more so I raised my glass ( and my score ) to 95 This is going to evolve to be great in 10+ years
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Second try after a bottle a year ago (rated 97). This remains this seductive, sexy and slightly slutty wine which is a lot of fun to drink with the appropriate aeration (it needs at least 4-5 hours in the decanter). At first wild and jammy it got better by the minute and revealed more nuances packed in a delicate structure. I’m still convinced that the 2016 Tuscan wines (as well as Bordeaux wines) will ultimately proof to be the superior vintage over their older sibling (less ripeness, more elegance and structure) but the 2015 stand for lots of early pleasure until the 2016s reach their adolescence. I’m not yet convinced that the 2015s have the acidity for extended 20, 30 years ageing.
TN: At first thick, ripe, jammy, fat and wild. With time more elegant, round and soft with lots of sweet and fresh red fruit, cinnamon, herbs, some hints of dark fruit and minerality. The fruit is dominating here pushing everything else a bit to the background. But with some air it’s so delicious luring you in with its fresh sweetness and purity of red fruit. All is embedded in a soft structural frame with fine tannins and a good acid backbone and comes with a very good length.
Decanting: We told the staff to decant it, they forgot it, so PnP and the rest went into the decanter. Followed over 2+ hours. Improved significantly with air. I would give it at least 5 hours in the decanter.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Developming nicely from my first tasting about a year ago. Amazing development in the glass. Initially bursting with baking spices, a bit of vanilla and a quite jammy fruit. But as time passes the fruit shows less extracted with the profile turning darker from a red fruit at first. Some herbal notes in there too. Surprisingly soft tannins with a bitter touch on the palate. Wouldn't be surprised to see even higher scores here in my reviews in another 1-2 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vertical Tasting with Axel Heinz (The Dimenna Center for Classical Music): The nose showed crushed raspberry with hints of savory herbs, dark spices, and smoky hints of bell pepper. On the palate, I found silky, pliant textures, showing zesty red berry fruits and spice with a mix of minerals, acid and tannin that created a youthful and ungiving persona. The finish was long, displaying a coating of inner floral tones across the senses, saturating fine tannin and echoes of blue fruit. The early appeal that was found after it had just been bottled has pulled back, revealing a wine in need of time slumbering in the cellar. I can’t wait for it to wake up once again.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank at Ornellaia tasting with wine maker. Youthful, exuberant, approachable, but still quite tannic. This is a great wine with a very bright future. Loads of black fruit, quite intense on the attack, sexy and concentrated. Give this baby lots of time in the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
CHAMLIJA VERSUS SUPER TUSCANS AND BURGUNDY (CHAMLIJA WINERY): Olgun siyah meyve aromalari, licorice, kutu cola, damakta kisa ve duz bir yapisi var, guclu govde fakat kuru ve astringent tanenler, biraz dengesiz ve daginik gibi geldi, damakta kisa, tatlimsi,
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mixed opinions around the table: two 89s, a 92, and a 94. The low scores were from drinkers who are not big fans of Italian wines and the high numbers were from those who are.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In a line-up of 6 various fine reds from Italy, Spain and Austria this was the wine that showed the most balanced. Surprisingly gentle/soft, certainly a wine of impeccable balance that is not overworked, very symmetrical, raspberry fruit with a very well integrated wood influence. Definitely a crowd pleaser. It somehow seemed more evolved then a 2015 to me (both visually and in terms of taste). My only criticism would be that I was missing that something special, that wow element that would make this wine memorable; although at this early stage maybe too much to ask. Very good showing and holding a lot of promise.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted next to 2015 Sassicaia. More restrained on the nose - dark fruit, spices, violets, but less expressive. On the palate tight and grippy. Very good acidity, lots of fruit underneath those powerful, almost rustic tannins. Very long and intense finish. Needs time for all the parts to come together, but very promising. 93-94+(+?)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
New York Wine Experience 2018 (New York Marriott Marquis): Very tight and closed, however still showing good fruit notes, cedar a little smoke. Tannins are pretty lively, this needs to be put away for 5-8 years before even thinking about opening one up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Best Bottle Monday with Friends (Carlton, Zurich): First nose dominated by baking spices, wet yeast, some flour and underneath sweet red cherries. With an additional 90 minutes or 2 hours in the glass the nose improved significantly, with pure, sweet red cherries taking the center stage. Very intense, not heavy and extremely balanced. While the first nose was mainly intellectually appealing, the last nose was very sexy and elegant. On the palate the cherry profile was a bit darker but not less intriguing. Hints of herbs, graphite, gravel, earth, tobacco ominous. Sweet and long finish. Perfect structure with very round, sweet, fine-grained tannins, a good acidic backbone, full body, elegant texture and a very good overall balance (which improved by the minute).
I did not know that such a young Bordeaux blend from outside Napa Valley could give me that level of joy. Here is something very special in the making which might not be a big surprise given the critical acclaim for the 2015 vintage. My plan was not to buy into the 2015 vintage as winemakers in Tuscany say that the 2016 vintage will be even greater (just as in Bordeaux) but it’s hard to resist when there are such gems out there which give you that much pleasure that early.
PnPed. I suggest you give it a quick 30 minutes decant and follow the wine then over the course of 2 or more hours. It reached its peak after probably 90 minutes or even 2 hours that day (at the beginning it was a 91-94 wine max). If you don’t have that much time, give it a 2 hours decant.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Monday Bouteille (Carlton Restaurant, Zurich): First impression: Very floral (violets) with baking spices and a distinctly red cherry fruit. After 30 minutes in the glass more and more vanilla as well. Clearly still young and fresh, but with medium to high intensity already, well balanced palate and a firm structure. Looking very much forward to tasting this one again in 1 or 2 years. And then again and again and again...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 2015 is an Ornellaia vintage after my own heart. Here I found cool-toned, mineral-encased ripe black fruit mixed with red and spicy contrasts with dusty dried florals. The extra addition of Cabernet franc sung through the bouquet and added a spicy floral tone on the palate as red fruits give way to sweet minerals and zesty acidity made the mouth water, just in time for fine tannin to saturate the senses into the finish. It’s complex tannic structure came on late, making the 2015 accessible today yet perfectly seated for decades of positive evolution. I'm really excited to see where this wine is going.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
CASK SAMPLE TASTING WITH AXEL HEINZ BELLARIA MERLOT Vines planted in 91 Amazing fruit on the nose - strawberries, brambles and then spicy notes such as liquorice and sandlewood. Heady Very full and ripe on the palate. Lots of dark chocolate. Firm ripe tannins and a vanilla sweetness Round fat texture. "Creamy generosity" as Axel Heinz put it. I found it a bit over the top. Too sweet and not enough acidity.
BELLARIA CABERNET FRANC pine like nose - aromatic Firm, dense and concentrated on the palate with some slightly bitter herbal notes, like rosemary and sage. One of those wine where you can taste the landscape. Aromatic with some dark chocolate on the finish. Interesting wine, a bit awkward squad but packed with savoury flavour
BELLARIA ALTA CABERNET FRANC Vineyard planted in 95 - interesting to try this. Savoury nose - pencil shavings, slatey notes and raspberries Firm tannins, very aromatic, nice lft with some sweet oak (100% new) Spicy/ herbal notes - something a little like cardamom Firm finish
BELLARIA ALTA CABERNET SAUVIGNON on the nose red fruit, spicy, floral and fresh with some dark roasty notes Very firm tannin, ripe and mouth coating with dark chocolate notes A little silty at the end. Not that much fruit, tannins to the fore Quite old school Bordeaux in some ways, austere with wonderful tannins.
BELLARIA ALTA PETIT VERDOT Gosh look at that colour! Bright deep purple - so vivid Heady vibrant nose spicy with damson notes Soft initially but then tannins come in, they're not as plush as with the other varieties, a little rustic. Fascinating to try this but it's very much a wine for blending. They normally put about 8% in the blend though 2014 had 20% PV.
BOLGHERESE MERLOT Not the easiest of vintage according to Axel Heinz Young vineyard planted 2005 doesn't normally make it into main wine Fresh nose with spicy oak, fresh fruit - sloes and blackcurrants Very supple powdery tannin Good freshness and acidity. Some earthiness on the end with some bitter dark chocolate
GINESTRAIO MERLOT Savoury nose, vanilla, dark chocolate, spices and leather Very firm tannins, lingering, but ripe and they do gradually release Intense and concentrated. Dark chocolate, very long and layered Amazing how the tannins slowly release A wine with freshness and tension A big strong giant
OLIVINO CABERNET SAUVIGNON Great fragrance! Fresh dark fruit on the nose, earthy notes Lovely tannin, mouth-coating and ripe. Fresh, fragrant and long with lots of pure red fruit. Oak very discrete (50% new) Long savoury finish Very complete wine. One can imagine them bottling and selling this.
ORNELLAIA OLD VINES CABERNET SAUVIGNON smoky nose, pencil shavings, herbals, spicy - heady Full and ripe on the palate, lovely supple tannins with blackcurrant fruit Lifted fragrance with juicy acidity. Very long layered finish with a lick of vanilla on the end. So much pleasure, sheer impact. "needs to be a little dialled down" according to Axel Heinz
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
5/11/2024 - maaike2 wrote: 93 Points
Rich and powerful, earthy, black fruit, good acid support, good length. 93/94. I am confident it will develop in a positive way.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2024 - pavese Likes this wine: 93 Points
A savory wine, driven by oak imparted aromas, especially vanilla and chocolate and nutmeg. Herbal too. Fruit is reticent to appear, it’s in the background. It’s a restrained, cagey wine. Tannins are fine and silky. Finish is long but not impressive.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2023 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pronounced nose intensity with coffee, vanilla, chocolate, black fruits, cassis, toast. Medium+ acidity and medium+ tannin. Long finish. Drink now and will improve with ageing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2023 - 50somm Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 2 hours, this wine was so elegant from STF! Hints of tobacco, dark fruit, anise and earth dirt the 2015 did not disappoint and would drink this all day every day. Excited to see how this evolves over time but YOLO drink it now!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2023 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
A really good vintage for Ornellaia. Plenty of rich dark fruits in a smooth elegant package. There is a lovely spice component on the luxurious finish. In mid-age and should improve off its perfect balance. 92+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/16/2023 - mrsl500 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decant 1 hr. w/NY. WOW - So good. Great nose, good first glass. Ate with perfect New Yorks. Steady quality through last last glass then escalated higher. Justifies decanting 2 hrs. early & deserves benchmark status. Highley recommend. Would buy again. Solid 95.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2023 - jmoon Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really needed the two hour decant then it fell together beautifully and revealed a rich and complete wine journey of red and black fruits. Plush and deep and delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2023 - Geniesser64 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Sehr fein zisellierter Wein.... Lecker!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2023 - streethawk Likes this wine:
Half bottle, decanted 2 hours. The nose shows a lot of dark fruit, tobacco, some spice, but not a lot of tertiary development yet. The palate is silky with medium tannins and a very long finish. Very structured and alive. This is really good right now but will be fantastic with some more time and should keep for two decades or more. I will try to hold off but it will be hard to resist.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2023 - Adam33 wrote: 95 Points
Smooth, elegant and very well balanced!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2022 - Jochems Likes this wine: 93 Points
The bottle was opened 2 hours before drinking and we have been at the table for about 3 hours. This note was taken from the last (and best!) glass.
We had this together with much less known La Leggenda from Querce Bettina from the same vintage (Sangiovese + Cab. F. blend).
A very interesting comparison! See my note on that wine as well.
Deep ruby with some purple at the rim. Full aromas of blueberry some boxwood and bayleaf and a hint of mushrooms. Full bodied with chewy-smooth tannins and balanced acidity. A very long finish follows through nicely but turns slightly bitter.
Still rather young and vibrant but integrated enough to be drinking great right now!
Drink now - 2030
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2022 - Stadshagen Conoisseur Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nice to drink, still young. Very nice bouquet and long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2022 - jmoon Likes this wine: 97 Points
Oh wow. After an hour slow ox double decant at room temp this was so plush and gorgeous !! Tasted blind like a l’evangle. Full dense, silky, expressive juicy chocolatey cherry and blackberry notes, amazing. Plateau for 2-3 hours. Then an hour later (5 hours from opening) it tensed up and fruit dropped and tannins dried.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
12/28/2021 - DrZett wrote: 94 Points
Dark fruits and berries are dominant, some menthol notes, dark chocolate, dry wood and some fine graphite notes in the background. Very nice! Medium (+) to full bodied with a lovely medium acidity. Grainy tannins, not integrated yet. Incredible deep structured and a great complexity. Feels very tight and closed in the moment. Very long and savory finish.
A fantastic wine which just needs a few more years to develop. It has all it needs to be a future legend, it’s just not there yet. 94 points for now but it has a huge potential. Drink from 2026 - 2038. (IG)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2021 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep,.dark fruited, with notes of menthol, earth, graphite and dark chocolate. Full-bodied and powerful, almost creamy in mouthfeel, with medium-high acidity and pretty high tannin that is very good quality. Still a baby in terms of evolution, this will need another 5-10 years to fully come together. Great potential though. (95-97)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2021 - SonnyChiba wrote:
Don’t open. Way too young. Would wait at least 5 years but longer is better, as with most wines of this high quality.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Too young. Sure, it can be enjoyed now; reveals itself more on the nose than the palate. Of course that's not saying too much for as nice as the nose may seem, it's obviously holding back. So, knowing this wine for 20+ years, I say don't you dare open a bottle anytime soon - this needs time to unfold. BIG, black and red fruits, loads of spice, a hint of soil. HOLD. For its full potential, it's highly recommended
https://www.ItalianWine.blog
6 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
4/7/2020 - Vineyard Boy wrote: 91 Points
91+. Needs a few years. Took 6+ hour decant to open up with any character. Confused by this bottle and reviews. Medium bodied
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (3)
4/6/2020 - Order66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid wine. Nice classy scents like vanilla, cloves and cherries. Pretty juicy and refreshing with a lingering tannin finish. Flavours of cherries, plums, and wood. Hits all the right bells for being tasty. I’m not sure it’s gonna improve much with time but I’ll revisit in 5 years to see what’s happening.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2020 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted five hours based on notes. Beautiful young Supertuscan with light tannins and a cornucopia of fruits, mocha, charred earth all delicately balanced. Super wine, long life ahead.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2020 - jmoon Likes this wine: 96 Points
Absolutely brilliant after a 4 hour double decant. Ripe, accessible, delicious, with warm soft tannins and glorious texture and length. Impeccable, and will just get better over time. Needs air.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2020 - RYANDOC Likes this wine: 97 Points
Tasted amazing. It's still a very young wine, and will be beautiful for years to come!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2020 - streethawk wrote: 96 Points
Terrific balance in this wine already. Red and dark fruits, some spice (?cinnamon), but also hinting at some earthiness. Tannins are present but not intrusive. A delight to drink already, this wine is going to get even better with some more time in the cellar. Outstanding.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/13/2020 - Kevnzworld wrote: 95 Points
1 hour decant on Seabourn
Drank young for a super Tuscan Bordeaux blend. ,
The wine is a little tannic but elegant.
There’s toastiness from the oak mixed with a nice mix of darker berries
Hour two it opened up more so I raised my glass ( and my score ) to 95
This is going to evolve to be great in 10+ years
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2019 - jmoon wrote: 95 Points
Decanted an hour. Beautiful ripe dark fruits, resolved balanced tannins. Great to drink now or in 10 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/29/2019 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Second try after a bottle a year ago (rated 97). This remains this seductive, sexy and slightly slutty wine which is a lot of fun to drink with the appropriate aeration (it needs at least 4-5 hours in the decanter). At first wild and jammy it got better by the minute and revealed more nuances packed in a delicate structure. I’m still convinced that the 2016 Tuscan wines (as well as Bordeaux wines) will ultimately proof to be the superior vintage over their older sibling (less ripeness, more elegance and structure) but the 2015 stand for lots of early pleasure until the 2016s reach their adolescence. I’m not yet convinced that the 2015s have the acidity for extended 20, 30 years ageing.
TN: At first thick, ripe, jammy, fat and wild. With time more elegant, round and soft with lots of sweet and fresh red fruit, cinnamon, herbs, some hints of dark fruit and minerality. The fruit is dominating here pushing everything else a bit to the background. But with some air it’s so delicious luring you in with its fresh sweetness and purity of red fruit. All is embedded in a soft structural frame with fine tannins and a good acid backbone and comes with a very good length.
Decanting: We told the staff to decant it, they forgot it, so PnP and the rest went into the decanter. Followed over 2+ hours. Improved significantly with air. I would give it at least 5 hours in the decanter.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2019 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Developming nicely from my first tasting about a year ago. Amazing development in the glass. Initially bursting with baking spices, a bit of vanilla and a quite jammy fruit. But as time passes the fruit shows less extracted with the profile turning darker from a red fruit at first. Some herbal notes in there too. Surprisingly soft tannins with a bitter touch on the palate. Wouldn't be surprised to see even higher scores here in my reviews in another 1-2 years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2019 - JRola Likes this wine:
Needs to open
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2019 - jmoon Likes this wine: 97 Points
Amazingly sensual, powerful and ripe but incredibly elegant. Napaesque. Add blueberries to cocoa. Double decanted 7 hrs prior
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2019 - SLDESQ wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2019 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Much more approachable than the key’d up 2014. Medium ripe tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2019 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vertical Tasting with Axel Heinz (The Dimenna Center for Classical Music): The nose showed crushed raspberry with hints of savory herbs, dark spices, and smoky hints of bell pepper. On the palate, I found silky, pliant textures, showing zesty red berry fruits and spice with a mix of minerals, acid and tannin that created a youthful and ungiving persona. The finish was long, displaying a coating of inner floral tones across the senses, saturating fine tannin and echoes of blue fruit. The early appeal that was found after it had just been bottled has pulled back, revealing a wine in need of time slumbering in the cellar. I can’t wait for it to wake up once again.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/26/2019 - cephomer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at Ornellaia tasting with wine maker. Youthful, exuberant, approachable, but still quite tannic. This is a great wine with a very bright future. Loads of black fruit, quite intense on the attack, sexy and concentrated. Give this baby lots of time in the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2019 - Thracian Alvarinho wrote: 93 Points
CHAMLIJA VERSUS SUPER TUSCANS AND BURGUNDY (CHAMLIJA WINERY): Olgun siyah meyve aromalari, licorice, kutu cola, damakta kisa ve duz bir yapisi var, guclu govde fakat kuru ve astringent tanenler, biraz dengesiz ve daginik gibi geldi, damakta kisa, tatlimsi,
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2019 - SalCarfagna wrote:
A beautiful balanced balancing act in a glass. This bottle is exceptional. It’s everything you’d want in a Cab/Merlot dry red wine. Pure excellence.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/18/2018 - seijaro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mixed opinions around the table: two 89s, a 92, and a 94. The low scores were from drinkers who are not big fans of Italian wines and the high numbers were from those who are.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2018 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a line-up of 6 various fine reds from Italy, Spain and Austria this was the wine that showed the most balanced. Surprisingly gentle/soft, certainly a wine of impeccable balance that is not overworked, very symmetrical, raspberry fruit with a very well integrated wood influence. Definitely a crowd pleaser. It somehow seemed more evolved then a 2015 to me (both visually and in terms of taste). My only criticism would be that I was missing that something special, that wow element that would make this wine memorable; although at this early stage maybe too much to ask. Very good showing and holding a lot of promise.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
Tasted next to 2015 Sassicaia. More restrained on the nose - dark fruit, spices, violets, but less expressive. On the palate tight and grippy. Very good acidity, lots of fruit underneath those powerful, almost rustic tannins. Very long and intense finish. Needs time for all the parts to come together, but very promising. 93-94+(+?)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2018 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 93 Points
Charismatic yes. Restrained sexy. Dark mysterious. Subtle chocolate with leather ties. Reflective joy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/19/2018 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 94 Points
New York Wine Experience 2018 (New York Marriott Marquis): Very tight and closed, however still showing good fruit notes, cedar a little smoke. Tannins are pretty lively, this needs to be put away for 5-8 years before even thinking about opening one up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Wine Spectator newbies; 10/18/2018-10/20/2018 (Marriott Marquis): This is a wine with all of the stuffings. It's tight, but still can see the vanilla and the black fruits and the slight levels of spice. Give it 20 more years and then revisit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2018 - Cailles wrote: 97 Points
Best Bottle Monday with Friends (Carlton, Zurich): First nose dominated by baking spices, wet yeast, some flour and underneath sweet red cherries. With an additional 90 minutes or 2 hours in the glass the nose improved significantly, with pure, sweet red cherries taking the center stage. Very intense, not heavy and extremely balanced. While the first nose was mainly intellectually appealing, the last nose was very sexy and elegant. On the palate the cherry profile was a bit darker but not less intriguing. Hints of herbs, graphite, gravel, earth, tobacco ominous. Sweet and long finish. Perfect structure with very round, sweet, fine-grained tannins, a good acidic backbone, full body, elegant texture and a very good overall balance (which improved by the minute).
I did not know that such a young Bordeaux blend from outside Napa Valley could give me that level of joy. Here is something very special in the making which might not be a big surprise given the critical acclaim for the 2015 vintage. My plan was not to buy into the 2015 vintage as winemakers in Tuscany say that the 2016 vintage will be even greater (just as in Bordeaux) but it’s hard to resist when there are such gems out there which give you that much pleasure that early.
PnPed. I suggest you give it a quick 30 minutes decant and follow the wine then over the course of 2 or more hours. It reached its peak after probably 90 minutes or even 2 hours that day (at the beginning it was a 91-94 wine max). If you don’t have that much time, give it a 2 hours decant.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2018 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Monday Bouteille (Carlton Restaurant, Zurich): First impression: Very floral (violets) with baking spices and a distinctly red cherry fruit. After 30 minutes in the glass more and more vanilla as well. Clearly still young and fresh, but with medium to high intensity already, well balanced palate and a firm structure. Looking very much forward to tasting this one again in 1 or 2 years. And then again and again and again...
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 95 Points
The 2015 is an Ornellaia vintage after my own heart. Here I found cool-toned, mineral-encased ripe black fruit mixed with red and spicy contrasts with dusty dried florals. The extra addition of Cabernet franc sung through the bouquet and added a spicy floral tone on the palate as red fruits give way to sweet minerals and zesty acidity made the mouth water, just in time for fine tannin to saturate the senses into the finish. It’s complex tannic structure came on late, making the 2015 accessible today yet perfectly seated for decades of positive evolution. I'm really excited to see where this wine is going.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2017 - henrygjeffreys wrote:
CASK SAMPLE TASTING WITH AXEL HEINZ
BELLARIA MERLOT
Vines planted in 91
Amazing fruit on the nose - strawberries, brambles and then spicy notes such as liquorice and sandlewood. Heady
Very full and ripe on the palate. Lots of dark chocolate. Firm ripe tannins and a vanilla sweetness
Round fat texture. "Creamy generosity" as Axel Heinz put it. I found it a bit over the top. Too sweet and not enough acidity.
BELLARIA CABERNET FRANC
pine like nose - aromatic
Firm, dense and concentrated on the palate with some slightly bitter herbal notes, like rosemary and sage. One of those wine where you can taste the landscape. Aromatic with some dark chocolate on the finish.
Interesting wine, a bit awkward squad but packed with savoury flavour
BELLARIA ALTA CABERNET FRANC
Vineyard planted in 95 - interesting to try this.
Savoury nose - pencil shavings, slatey notes and raspberries
Firm tannins, very aromatic, nice lft with some sweet oak (100% new)
Spicy/ herbal notes - something a little like cardamom
Firm finish
BELLARIA ALTA CABERNET SAUVIGNON
on the nose red fruit, spicy, floral and fresh with some dark roasty notes
Very firm tannin, ripe and mouth coating with dark chocolate notes
A little silty at the end. Not that much fruit, tannins to the fore
Quite old school Bordeaux in some ways, austere with wonderful tannins.
BELLARIA ALTA PETIT VERDOT
Gosh look at that colour! Bright deep purple - so vivid
Heady vibrant nose spicy with damson notes
Soft initially but then tannins come in, they're not as plush as with the other varieties, a little rustic.
Fascinating to try this but it's very much a wine for blending. They normally put about 8% in the blend though 2014 had 20% PV.
BOLGHERESE MERLOT
Not the easiest of vintage according to Axel Heinz
Young vineyard planted 2005 doesn't normally make it into main wine
Fresh nose with spicy oak, fresh fruit - sloes and blackcurrants
Very supple powdery tannin
Good freshness and acidity. Some earthiness on the end with some bitter dark chocolate
GINESTRAIO MERLOT
Savoury nose, vanilla, dark chocolate, spices and leather
Very firm tannins, lingering, but ripe and they do gradually release
Intense and concentrated. Dark chocolate, very long and layered
Amazing how the tannins slowly release
A wine with freshness and tension
A big strong giant
OLIVINO CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Great fragrance! Fresh dark fruit on the nose, earthy notes
Lovely tannin, mouth-coating and ripe. Fresh, fragrant and long with lots of pure red fruit. Oak very discrete (50% new) Long savoury finish
Very complete wine. One can imagine them bottling and selling this.
ORNELLAIA OLD VINES CABERNET SAUVIGNON
smoky nose, pencil shavings, herbals, spicy - heady
Full and ripe on the palate, lovely supple tannins with blackcurrant fruit
Lifted fragrance with juicy acidity. Very long layered finish with a lick of vanilla on the end.
So much pleasure, sheer impact. "needs to be a little dialled down" according to Axel Heinz
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment