2017 Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Rosso Tuscany 750 ml

Ornellaia. The name alone stirs the heart and makes even the toughest critics go weak at the knees. Wine Advocate classifies it as “monumental,” while Vinous founder Antonio Galloni wrote that Ornellaia’s wines “have never failed to literally send shivers down my spine.”  

In 1997, the legendary Super Tuscan producer, often referred to as “Italy’s First Growth,” began putting its extraordinary talent behind a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, made in the same estate vineyards and by the same winemaking team. James Suckling calls it “excellent, sometimes implausibly good for a second wine.”

Wine Access members agree, to the tune of some of the best ratings we’ve ever seen: A stunning 4.93 out of 5 stars. You simply can’t go wrong with this wine.

Today, marking its 20th anniversary release, this special bottling is one of the most highly anticipated Tuscan buys of the year, especially given Le Serre Nuove’s history of out-scoring second wines from Grand Cru Classé estates like Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion. 

Beautifully complex, this 2017 Le Serre Nuove’s aromas of black plum, baking spice, dried herb, vanilla, and currant leaf unwind slowly over time in the glass. A powerful palate yields cherry and blackberry notes, woven seamlessly into tightly polished tannins that build over a bold, concentrated finish. Savory mocha and spice linger on the palate, reminding us what a brilliantly structured, top-notch Super Tuscan this is to drink now or over the next ten to twelve years. 

Just south of the famed cypress-lined avenue of Bolgheri, the Ornellaia estate drips with pedigree. The original Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc vines here were planted by the legendary Russian-born enologist André Tchelistcheff, who told then-owner Lodovico Antinori that the property was a viticultural “El Dorado.” Today, the vines are tended by Axel Heinz, “one of the world’s most in-demand winemakers” according to Galloni. For the “Le Serre Nuove,” Heinz selects fruit from younger vines and leans more on Merlot, resulting in a fresher, more elegant profile that drinks beautifully out of the gate.

The best part of today’s offer is the value behind this label: At roughly 1/5 the price of the grand vin Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove offers the majesty of a Tuscan icon at a fantastic price.