Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove dell' Ornellaia 2018 6000ml

97 POINTS

James Suckling

So aromatic and complex with blackcurrants, blueberries, fresh violets and lavender on the nose. Some graphite and iodine, too. Medium to full body with firm, chewy tannins that are polished and refined, yet the palate is so long and refined. This is an Ornellaia with strength in elegance. Try after 2025.

97 POINTS

Antonio Galloni MW - Vinous

The 2018 Ornellaia is an introvert at this stage. Medium in body, with terrific persistence and impeccable balance, the 2018 is not in any mood to show all its cards today. Hints of red berry fruit, mocha, spice, licorice and dried flowers emerge with a bit of coaxing. I won’t be surprised to see it put on weight with more time in bottle. There is certainly plenty to look forward to. Readers should expect a silky, aromatic Ornellaia in line with vintages such as 2004 that are more about finesse than raw power. This is the first time in which Merlot drives the blend in Ornellaia. Drink 2025 - 2040.

95 POINTS

Monica Larner - Wine Advocate

The 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is complete and seamlessly stitched together with extreme care and precision. This is an almost technical blend of Merlot (at 50% of the blend for the first time), 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot that offers a true sense of wholeness and consistency that speaks to the blending expertise and experience of the winemaking team. Finding harmony among the various vinous components of the wine was especially important in this vintage that prized early-ripening grapes like Merlot over the others. Blackberry and dried cherry segue to spice, tar, campfire ash and more sweet fruit. We're off to a great start, and this vintage of Ornellaia is surely destined to flesh out and grow more complex with age. Drink 2024 - 2045

95 POINTS

Aldo Fiordelli - Decanter

Always an example of powerful wine not without grace, this year Ornellaia seems to be a graceful wine not without power. Intensely floral, with buttery notes, restrained cassis and depth of helichrysum and myrtle. Open-knit yet with balsamic notes, this 2018 vintage is ripe and smooth, with lighter extraction (a trend started in 2013) and moderate acidity. The red grape harvest began on the 31st of August with the Merlot and ended on the 8th of October with the later-ripening varieties.