1 | Wine | Red Bordeaux Blend, 91 to 95, 2007

"The 2007 looks to be one of Quintessa's stronger efforts in a number of years. Dark ruby/purple, with sweet black currant, cherry, and loamy soil notes intermixed with some subtle spice box and background oak, this wine is rich and medium to full-bodied, with round, silky tannins, and an attractive set of aromatics." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Col Solare has planted a beautifully situated estate vineyard but the fruit is not quite ready to be included. Medium purple-colored, if offers up an inviting perfume of pain grille, pencil lead, espresso, violets, black currant, and blackberry. Structured and dense on the palate, the wine has superb intensity, volume, and balance."

"Explodes onto the palate with masses of rich, opulent fruit that caress the palate with gorgeous length and a seamless beauty that is hard to fully capture. Dark wild cherries, plums, spices, minerals and herbs develop in the glass. This is an especially bold, perhaps slightly uncharacteristic Sassicaia in its extroverted personality, but it is beautiful all the same. The inner perfume and sweetness carries through the long finish, where the sheer weight and glycerol of the fruit leaves a lasting impression."

"Aromas of pain grille, dried herbs, exotic spices, violets, black currant, and blackberry inform the nose of a medium- to full-bodied wine that deftly combines elegance with power. Several more years of cellaring should add complexity to the mix."

"The 2007 Ornellaia is remarkably open and accessible, very much in keeping with the personality of the vintage. Clean, minerally notes frame a core of silky, perfumed dark fruit, mocha, spices, licorice, grilled herbs and leather that impresses for its exceptional length. Tasted next to the 2007 Le Serre Nuove, the 2007 Ornellaia shows more muscle (from the higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon), but in terms of pure quality the wines are very close. The 2007 is not a big, massive Ornellaia, but rather a wine built on elegance and finesse, both of which are on full display."

"Explodes onto the palate with masses of rich, opulent fruit that caress the palate with gorgeous length and a seamless beauty that is hard to fully capture. Dark wild cherries, plums, spices, minerals and herbs develop in the glass. This is an especially bold, perhaps slightly uncharacteristic Sassicaia in its extroverted personality, but it is beautiful all the same. The inner perfume and sweetness carries through the long finish, where the sheer weight and glycerol of the fruit leaves a lasting impression."

"The 2007 is not a big, massive Ornellaia, but rather a wine built on elegance and finesse, both of which are on full display. ...The 2007 Ornellaia is remarkably open and accessible, very much in keeping with the personality of the vintage. Clean, minerally notes frame a core of silky, perfumed dark fruit, mocha, spices, licorice, grilled herbs and leather that impresses for its exceptional length. Tasted next to the 2007 Le Serre Nuove, the 2007 Ornellaia shows more muscle (from the higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon), but in terms of pure quality the wines are very close."

"The 2007 Ornellaia is remarkably open and accessible, very much in keeping with the personality of the vintage. Clean, minerally notes frame a core of silky, perfumed dark fruit, mocha, spices, licorice, grilled herbs and leather that impresses for its exceptional length. Tasted next to the 2007 Le Serre Nuove, the 2007 Ornellaia shows more muscle (from the higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon), but in terms of pure quality the wines are very close. The 2007 is not a big, massive Ornellaia, but rather a wine built on elegance and finesse, both of which are on full display."

"The deep ruby/purple-tinged 2007 Claret possesses a sweet, fat component that provides flesh and succulence to the wine’s tannic structure. Black raspberry, black currant, crushed rock, and spring flower-like characteristics emerge from this pure, textured beauty."

"Wonderfully complex aromas lead to firm, intense and concentrated flavors, showing a well-structured mix of black licorice, blackberry, plum and black cherry, with touches of graphite and mineral. Ends with tight, chewy yet ripe tannins that support the flavors."