Ornellaia 2016 “La Tensione”
Ornellaia is a cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot and the faithful expression of unique terroir developed in harmony with nature. 2016 represents another immensely successful vintage highlighting all the virtues of Bolgheri’s climate: abundant sunshine, without excessive heat, a dry summer to allow the grapes to achieve perfect ripeness and concentration, and just about enough rain to avoid stress. All these elements combine to yield a wine that shows lush ripeness and crisp firmness, opposing forces creating a sense of dense raciness we like to describe as “tension”.
Particularly dark and young colour is the prelude to a complex nose of black berries, spices and cedar. The palate is rich and dense, balanced by a refined and firm tannic structure, lifted by a juicy and bright acidity. 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
Awards
- Wine Advocate 98
- James Suckling 98
- Wine Spectator 96
- Antonio Galloni 96+
BenMarco Expresivo 2020
Gualtallary is recognized for its calcareous alluvial soils. As a result, BenMarco Expresivo is a lineal, fresh wine, with aromas of blackberries, pepper tree and violets. It stands out for its mineral notes, balanced natural acidity and firm tannins. Great aging potential.
Aged 14 months in French oak barrels (70% new, 30% second-use).
Perfect with red meats, roasted pork tenderloin, hard cheeses, and mostly cream-based sauces.
82% Malbec, 18% Cabernet Franc
"A nuanced but deep nose, showing crushed stones, fresh and glossy blackberries and blueberries, then flowers, asphalt, cocoa powder and chalk. Broad, exuberant and concentrated, but not at all heavy. This is juicy and so polished and dense, with silky, chalky tannins to coat the blueberry fruit. Fleshy, tight and seamless. Long and so seductive now. 85% malbec and 15% cabernet franc. Vegan. Drink or hold." - 96 points, James Suckling
Luce Lucente 2019
A cold and sunny winter was followed by a spring characterized by low average temperatures and heavy precipitation, which contributed to the creation of important water reserves in the soil. The reduced sunlight coupled with the heavy rainfall resulted in a slight delay in the vegetative cycle of the grapevine. Flowering took place between the end of May and early June, after which the growing season continued regularly with a hot summer free of excessive temperatures and some rainfall occurring between late July and early August. The mild temperatures in September and the good water reserves supported a slow and regular ripening of the grapes.
Lucente 2019 is an intense purplish red wine. The nose is characterized by notes of ripe red fruit, raspberries and sour cherries, combined with a touch of vanilla and a slight balsamic hint. On the palate, the wine is soft, balanced and well-supported by a pleasant crispness and smooth tannins, characteristics that together with its sweet aftertaste give the wine a persistent finish.
Food Pairing: Beef, Lamb, Veal, Poultry, Cured Meat
"Lots of blue fruit, graphite and stone aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with tight and linear tannins and a fresh, vivid finish. Punchy, yet fine, suggesting two to four years of bottle will soften the wine." - 94 points, James Suckling
First Drop Cold Sweat Eden Valley Syrah – Moculta (Single Vineyard) 2014
Eden Valley is the perfect backdrop for us to further push our vinous boundaries. At a higher elevation than the Barossa Valley below, we embrace the funk to make even more diverse expressions of Syrah that speak of their unique sites. It’s all about the one. Give the drummer some! With this Eden Valley project we are looking for the ultimate expressions of three cooler climate sites and working hard to find them, utilising all our experience. Syrah from a single vineyard in Moculta.
Colour: Garnet red with purple hues
Nose: A complex nose of dark cherry, savoury and spice aromas
Palate: A brooding palate of grainy tannins support complex dark cherry, earthy and savoury flavours.
"A more conventional syrah, but that doesn’t make it any less attractive as it’s impressively well made. Fresh blackberry compote, fresh herbs, dark licorice, hot stones and cassis. Full-bodied with a lovely line of acidity that runs all the way through the layers of black fruit and right up to the chewy finish. Drink in 2022." - 95 points, James Suckling
Luce 2019
TUSCAN TRADITION
2019: a balanced and late vintage. A cold and sunny winter was followed by a spring characterized by low average temperatures and heavy rainfall, which contributed to the creation of important water reserves in the soil. The reduced sunlight coupled with the heavy rainfall resulted in a slight delay of about ten days in the vegetative cycle of the grapevines. The flowering phase took place in early June, after which the growing season continued regularly with a hot summer free of excessive temperatures and some rainfall occurring between late July and early August, which supported a vigorous and efficient growth of the leaves. The mild temperatures in September and the good water reserves supported a slow and regular ripening of the grapes, which resulted in perfectly ripe, highly intense tannins rich in aromatic freshness. The harvest began with a sunny climate on September 12 with the first Merlot grapes, continued with Sangiovese in late September and early October. The wines are structured showing balance, vigor and great aging potential. Luce 2019 has an intense ruby red color. The nose is striking with its floral hints of violet and rose accompanied by red fruits such as raspberries and sweet spices. In the mouth, the wine is balanced and elegant with an almost creamy texture supported by silky and well-integrated tannins. Spicy notes accompany the persistent finish. Food Pairing: Beef, Lamb, Veal, Poultry, Cured Meat
Yangarra Old Vine Grenache (MLV) 2022
Overture By Opus One (2018 Release)
In the tradition of many great Bordeaux estates, Opus One produces a fine second wine called Overture. Like the introduction of a great musical piece, Overture, the wine, presents elements of the exceptional work itself, although certainly not in its entirety or full complexity.
Since 1993, we have created Overture as a result of our highly selective process for Opus One. We meticulously cultivate each section of our estate vineyard with the attention to detail and singular focus required to produce Opus One. This diligence carries through the extensive blending process, and not all wine-lots from our estate are chosen for the final Opus One blend.
Yet, when these remaining lots are afforded additional time in French oak barrels, coupled with the added flexibility of blending across multiple vintages, the final wine, Overture, achieves remarkable elegance, complexity and approachability.
As a natural extension of the creation of Opus One, Overture’s varietal composition evolves based on the lot selections made for each vintage. Overture reflects the proportion of Bordeaux-heritage grape varieties planted on our estate: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Uniquely, Overture captures the essence of our estate across vintages; therefore the exact blend and cellar approach will always differ from Opus One.
BenMarco Malbec 2021
BenMarco Malbec brings together the best components of the Los Chacayes soil, such as its alluvial character with excellent permeability.
The wine is a testimony of Valle de Uco, endowed with aromas of black berries, notes of violets, pronounced acidity, firm tannins and great length.
BenMarco Malbec pairs well with grilled red meats, sausages, seasoned or roasted pork, hard cheeses and pasta with meat-based sauces.
"The 2021 BenMarco Malbec was produced with fruit from Los Chacayes in Valle de Uco, fermented destemmed in stainless steel and matured in second use French oak barrels for 11 months. It’s floral, spicy, aromatic, showy and expressive with the aromatic flowers with very integrated oak. It has both good ripeness, 14.3% alcohol, with good freshness and fine tannins. They produced an impressive 240,000 bottles. " - Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
First Drop Mother’s Ruin McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
VINTAGE 2019: A very dry winter and spring, with frost events in September and November disrupting bud burst and flowering, resulted in the lightest crops in the past decade. January and February were warm and dry, and in conjunction with the low yields, ripening was rapid. Quick decision making and early picking resulted in reds with great intensity and structure thanks also to the light crops and early tannin maturity. 2019 was a challenging vintage, but one of the most rewarding, with our alternative varieties showing particularly well. The overall quality is a tribute to our growers and their perseverance in a difficult growing season. We salute you!
The fruit is crushed/destemmed and fermented at temperatures ranging from 20- 25°C for 10 days on skins. The ferment is managed by a variety of techniques, including ‘aerative pump overs’ and ‘drain and returns’ which assist in extracting colour, flavour and tannin from the grapes. At the end of fermentation, it is drained/pressed, and transferred to 10% new French oak barriques, and the balance to 3 and 4 year old French oak hogsheads to undergo MLF. Post MLF, sulphur dioxide is added, and the wines mature sur lie for 18 months.
Body: Medium Bodied
Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon