Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2023 'Ornellaia' Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany

Professional Ratings

98pts James Suckling: Restrained and complex, showing aromas of cloves, graphite, bark, Mediterranean scrub and dark yet fresh bramble fruit. On the full-bodied palate, it shines with extraction and suppleness, showing dense, velvety tannins and long, refreshing acidity. Stunning savoriness and intensity with fine-knit depth. Drinkable now but best from 2027.

98 pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The Ornellaia 2023 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot, and it is worth noting that Merlot remains present at nearly the same percentage as previous years, despite the greater challenges faced by early-ripening varieties in this mildew-prone vintage. Careful fruit selection made the difference. The wine shows impressive richness and concentration with a bouquet that leans botanical and complex, marked by dark fruit, Mediterranean thyme and rosemary. The nose was slightly closed when I tasted the wine, but it will open. The texture is velvety and polished, delivering beautiful richness with a sense of succulence that feels expansive on the palate. According to proprietor Lamberto Frescobaldi, the goal is to establish a clear through line focused on freshness and balancing fruit and spice while avoiding excess ripeness. This is a meticulously made Ornellaia that captures the vintage with remarkable elegance.

97 pts Jeb Dunnuck: The 2023 Ornellaia, a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot, pours a deep, saturated purple/red hue and is incredibly detailed and layered. Aromas of cassis, violet, sandalwood, sage, leather, and fresh tobacco unfold with precision. Full-bodied, it is seamless and refined, with exceptional balance, creamy yet structured tannins, vibrant acidity, and a saline, mineral-driven finish. Notes of preserved black cherry and dark chocolate linger through the long, elegant close. This is a complete and compelling vintage with outstanding longevity.

96 pts Decanter: A surprisingly lightweight and finessed Ornellaia – the first full vintage under the watchful gaze of ex-Bordeaux winemaker Marco Balsimelli. Rose and violet fragrance introduces crunchy hedgerow berry flavours kissed by menthol, cardamom, black pepper and petrichor. Breezy-fresh and with good intensity, it's a slender, vertical shape in the mouth, with fine, slightly firm but ripe tannins and lipsmacking sapidity. Balsimelli notes that the sandy soils helped the plentiful spring rains to drain, and once past the threat of disease the water reserves proved useful for the hot summer. There was some rain in late August, while September featured cool nights, preserving aromatics and ensuring perfect ripening for all the estate's varieties. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot.

96 pts Vinous:  The 2023 Ornellaia is elegant and supremely finessed right out of the gate. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, dried herbs, licorice and lavender all meld together in the glass. There are no hard edges or awkward contours. Readers will find an Ornellaia that speaks to understatement and finesse more than power. This is impressive.

96 pts Wine Spectator: Saturated with aromas and flavors of blackberry, black currant, cassis, iron and toasty oak, this red is pure, luscious and dark. As this evolves on the palate, thick yet refined tannins emerge, as do accents of wild herbs. Shows excellent potential but seems to be holding back today. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2029 through 2047.