VM96+: The 2013 Ornellaia continues to put on weight with time in bottle. I have tasted the 2013 three times over the last few months and watched it blossom over that time. Fresh, vibrant and tightly wound, the 2013 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. There is striking purity to the aromas and flavors, along with plenty of tension and enough energy to reward cellaring.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia was founded in 1981 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori in the maritime hills of Bolgheri. The 97-hectare estate stretches out along the Tyrrhenian Sea and is the birthplace of the now-iconic wines Ornellaia and Masseto. With marine, alluvial and volcanic soils, each grape variety is planted in its ideal conditions. Ornellaia is a powerful, concentrated Cabernet-Merlot blend originating in 1985. It is built for aging and remains one of the great wines of Italy.