Ornellaia Bolgheri belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of Italian wines. It’s one of the original Super Tuscans, a style that transformed Italian wine into the powerhouse it is today. Ornellaia is picked during ideal conditions and uses only the finest fruit to ensure immaculate year-over-year quality. Today, the Bordeaux-style red blend easily commands a $300 price tag.

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Those looking for a slice of Bordeaux in Tuscany need not look further than Ornellaia. The brainchild of Marchese Lodovico Antinori, the 2018 vintage features 51 merlot, 40 cabernet sauvignon, 7 cabernet franc, and 2 petit verdot. Even with the various Bordeaux grapes and stays in oak and barriques, the final blend sings with one voice. It’s a seamless, soaring wine with “a true sense of wholeness and consistency,” according to wine critic Monica Larner.  
 
This vintage is unique for two reasons. First, it’s reliance on merlot. For the first time ever, the red grape accounts for 50 of the blend. General manager Axel Heinz praised the vintage’s merlot for its exceptional “aromatic depth and complexity that does not come as easily (as power and concentration).” Second, the estate collaborated with Belgian artist Jan Fabre to produce a limited edition label for one bottle per case. Translation: 2018 Ornellaia delivers both style and substance. 
 
The Final Sip: The 2018 version of this Bordeaux-style red blend is off to a superb start and should only add weight with age.

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James Suckling