Le Volte dell'Ornellaia 2013 150cl

A young red with solid tannin power and plenty of ripe and flavorful fruit. Currants and ripe strawberries. Full body, and a fresh finish, although this is a little austere and hard now. Try in 2017 as tannins soften.

Dark flavors of black cherry and blackberry pick up a pleasant leafy edge as this juicy red stretches out on the finish. Needs time to integrate, with a long aftertaste of fruit and mineral. Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2018 through 2026. 8,000 cases imported.

A blend of Merlot (50%), Sangiovese (30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), the 2013 Le Volte is a wine of great inner freshness and aromas. Most of the fruit used in the blend is purchased from outside contractors (some 20% of the fruit is estate-grown). The wine is a great addition to the Ornellaia portfolio because you get to taste the work of this celebrated estate without paying a hefty price tag of its top shelf wines. Some 500,000 bottles are produced each year making it easy to find. <br/><br/>Of course the exciting news from Ornellaia this year is the introduction of a new white wine. Readers can learn more about this wine in the video I shot with winemaker Alex Heinz that is posted to www.erobertparker.com. The 2013 Ornellaia Bianco Toscana is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier that is released in limited production numbers. Only 4,000 bottles were made. The idea here was to craft a white wine with the same soaring ambition and lofty goals as the celebrated Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore that is, hands down, one of the best wines made in Italy. I enjoyed a terrific tasting of this venerated estate's new products.<br/>