“Ornellaia 2019 seems to be a return to the past: we must go back to the 2002 vintage to find a blend of Ornellaia with more than 60% of Cabernet Sauvignon. In the 2019 there is 62% of it to be precise, with 31% of Merlot, 4% of Petit Verdot and 3% of Cabernet Franc. It’s a throwback which I like – compared, for example, with the Merlot-based 2018, even if it compensates the slightly lower proportion of Cabernet Franc. ‘The vintage was delayed by a cool and rainy spring with flowering 10 days later than average, but the harvest finished one week earlier,’ said Axel Heinz, managing director of Ornellaia. Despite the shorter growing season, 2019 was a powerful vintage with a dry and warm summer 2°C higher than the average. Ornellaia’s team defined it as ‘Il Vigore’, which refers to its strength. Restrained bramble fruits are enhanced by earthy tones, walnut husk and Mediterranean herbs, with a whiff of dry mushrooms and the first hint of balsamic notes. The attack is velvety with great mid-palate extraction. The tannins are very ripe and there’s a refreshing acidity, but what is to be underlined is the clear cut of this wine, its woven structure and the savoury energy on the finish, typical of the climate of Bolgheri.”97 Points – Decanter, Aldo Fiordelli