2018 Ornellaia, Vendemmia d'Artista, La Grazia - Jan Fabre, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

The 2018 Ornellaia is mostly Merlot but includes a solid amount of Cabernet Sauvignon and tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It's a gorgeous wine that takes air to show at its best (and deserves bottle age), giving up a terrific array of red and black currants, cedar pencil, tobacco, iron, and savoury herbs. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly well-balanced red that has building, ripe, polished tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, a great mid-palate, and one heck of a finish. While not a blockbuster in the exuberant, extroverted sense of the word, it has incredible intensity and depth, and this is a gem of a wine. I suspect it needs another 5-7 years to hit maturity and will evolve for 30-40 years.Drink 2027 - 2062jeb_dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (June 2022)