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.

Currants, sweet tobacco, walnut husk and flowers on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied, it grows on the palate, with firm yet polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Very solid and well-crafted second wine from Ornellaia. Drink after 2023.

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 Serra Nuove Dell'Ornellaia is lifted with candied cherry, raspberry, menthol, and cedar. It is medium to full-bodied and offers a more structured and linear feel, which is a hallmark of the vintage. The tannins are forward and wound at this stage, with fleshy fruit of plum skin, black cherry, and Mediterranean herbs. The 2020s might be ready to drink ahead of these, but the 2019s will be worth enjoying over the longer haul of 10-15 years. Drink 2025-2035. AF

Raspberries and blackcurrants on the nose, some soapy-floral aromas. Crunchy fruit with chalky tannins that make an impression straight away. A little bit subdued at the moment, not showing so brightly in the glass. Less wowed than I have been. But nice density, plush tannins are mouthfilling and this has some heft to it. It's not as defined or nuanced, lacking a little finesse right now, but there is good structure and weight in the mouth. Give this time. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks then racked into barriques (25% new and 75% one use) for 12 months, reassembled then returned to barriques for three months then bottle aged for six months prior to release. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2038
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle (at Bordeaux, 05 Jul 2022)
Part of Place de Bordeaux: March 2022 releases

A well-defined red, with a streak of pure black currant, blackberry, cedar and rosemary. Linear and vibrant, with echoes of fruit and spice on the lingering finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2026. 3,000 cases imported. BS

Youthful crimson ruby. Perfumed polished and slick nose of black forest fruit and cassis with a lick of oak. Cassis and black forest fruit that is surprisingly tightly wound and completely dry. Coating powdery and slightly bitter tannins that demand food on the finish. (WS)

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)