Ornellaia 2008

"Impressive nose of dark truffles, milk chocolate and blackberries. Full bodied, with lots of licorice and blackberries and truffles. Very long and intense. Goes on for minutes. This is amazing and firm, with a racy character. Best after 2016."

97 Points

James Suckling

"The 2008 Ornellaia has really come together beautifully over the last few months. Up until fairly recently it was a tightly wound, inaccessible wine, but it has begun to blossom quite nicely. The 2008 is a cool, inward Ornellaia graced with exquisite finesse in its dark fruit, mocha, licorice, tar and spices. I especially like the minerality and focus. There is a fabulous balance between the tannins of this structured, powerful vintage, but with gorgeous fleshiness and pliancy that makes the wine very attractive, even at this early stage. It will be fascinating to watch the 2008 develop over the coming years and decades. The 2008 growing season was marked by a rainy, wet spring which resulted in an irregular flowering and naturally low yields. The summer was hot, but temperatures cooled towards the end of the summer, particularly at night, so important for the development of color, aromatics and full phenolic ripeness in varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. The result is a big, massively structured Ornellaia built for the cellar. In 2008 the blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The 2008 Ornellaia spent about 20 months in French oak barrels, 70% new. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028. 96+ "

96 Points

The Wine Advocate

"Pure flavors of black cherry, blackberry and coffee are enmeshed in the dense texture of this red, which is polished and beautifully balanced, in an international style. Shows fine length. Best from 2014 through 2024. 2,150 cases imported."

93 Points

Wine Spectator