772 | Wine | Red Bordeaux Blend, 91 to 95, 3 L

"This dense purple wine displays notes of charcoal, subtle toast and white chocolate as well as blueberry and blackberry liqueur intermixed with hints of graphite and licorice. Dense, full-bodied, unctuously textured, and quite long and thick, this concentrated, impressively endowed wine is silky-textured and already accessible. However, I suspect its best days are at least 5-7 years ahead of it. It should keep for a minimum of two decades."-Robert Parker

"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."

"A fabulous example of this estate, the 2005 is an ethereal, delicate, finesse-styled offering with intensity as well as richness. It has all the concentration one could want, but it comes across as gorgeously elegant and sublime because of its combination of delicacy, power, and depth. Beautiful raspberry, black cherry, currant, graphite, and scorched earth notes are subtle, but provocative. In the mouth, there is good acidity, medium body, ripe tannin, and terrific length." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Currant, mineral, plum and light toasty oak follow through to a full body, with ultrasilky tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is thoroughly beautiful. Superbalanced and very pretty."

"A big, structured, intensely rich effort with raspberry, blueberry, and spring flower garden characteristics, stunning purity, full-bodied power, and good underlying acidity as well as harmony." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Explosive ripe aromas of redcurrant, minerals, chocolate mint and tomato. Large-scaled, voluptuous and sweet, with very intense berry and chocolate flavors lifted by minerals, menthol and spices. Finishes with wonderfully broad tannins and an extremely long finish that leaves the palate vibrating. From a very cold terroir (the soil is clay over rocky limestone) that takes longer to warm up each day, but in 2005 this vineyard obviously reached near-perfect ripeness. Offers an exciting combination of thickness and depth with lift." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Sweet, smoky, meaty aromas interwoven with melted asphalt, camphor, blackberry, cassis, and charcoal scents emerge from the complex aromatics. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied, displaying sweet tannin, a concentrated mouthfeel, and a long, heady finish with substantial fruit, glycerin, and extract. It should drink beautifully for 20+ years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Deep ruby. Explosively perfumed nose offers a profound bouquet of ripe cherry, blackcurrant, yellow rose, Asian spices and vanilla bean; you could use this for incense. Deep and sweet but remarkably precise, offering powerful dark berry and kirsch flavors supported by substantial, velvety tannins. The fruit plows through the finish with superb energy, depth and clarity, fully absorbing the tannins. A big but wonderfully balanced example of Monte Bello, and sure to reward extended cellaring."

"A blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, the wine exhibits sweet, subtle notes of underbrush, earth, black cherry, currant, coffee, tapenade, and even a hint of truffle. This is a wine of impressive finesse, richness, and superb purity of fruit along with a full-bodied texture. It should drink beautifully for 15 or more years as well." Reviewed by Robert Parker. 94-96 pts.

"Fabulous nose, with crushed berries, licorice and fresh mushroom. Full-bodied, with soft, succulent tannins and a velvety texture. Lots of fruit still, with an underlying complexity from long bottle-age. This will improve for many years to come. A generous and well-crafted wine. Much better than I remember." Tasted in 2008.