The 2012 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is very similar to the 2011 Ornellaia that precedes it. These were both hot vintages, but 2012 saw the heat towards the end of the growing season. In fact the harvest in 2012 came two weeks earlier than average. This seamless blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot (27%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (7%) shows some of the roundness and softness of that summer heat. The wine´s density and extraction are spot-on and the bouquet is beautifully shaped by dark cherry nuances with spice, leather and tobacco at the back. There is a gorgeous sense of richness and plushness here. Some 160,000 bottles were produced. This edition of Ornellaia is more immediate in character and less suited to the decades-long aging that cooler vintages can affront so successfully.

Of course the exciting news from Ornellaia this year is the introduction of a new white wine. Readers can learn more about this wine in the video I shot with winemaker Alex Heinz that is posted to www.erobertparker.com. The 2013 Ornellaia Bianco Toscana is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier that is released in limited production numbers. Only 4,000 bottles were made. The idea here was to craft a white wine with the same soaring ambition and lofty goals as the celebrated Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore that is, hands down, one of the best wines made in Italy. I enjoyed a terrific tasting of this venerated estate´s new products.

Score: 94 Robert Parker (RP), The Wine Advocate (WA), October 2015

A tight and silky red with compacted fruit and tannin texture featuring blackcurrant, mushroom and bark undertones. Full body, firm tannins and a minerally finish. Excellent structure and mouthfeel. A cooler style of Ornellaia, bringing it back to the classicism of this celebrated region. Bordeaux blend. Better in 2018.

Score: 97 James Suckling (JS), JamesSuckling.com, August 2015

The 2012 Ornellaia has put on quite a bit of weight since I first tasted it from bottle a few months ago. Rich, powerful and concentrated, the 2012 offers plenty of depth and intensity, with expressive fruit and striking mid-palate intensity. Dark red cherry jam, wild flowers, licorice, smoke, tobacco and mint blossom in the glass. There is a very slight element of dryness in the tannin that is the signature of a year in which ripening took place in fits and starts. It will be interesting to see if that note softens over time.

Score: 94+ Antonio Galloni (AG), Vinous Media (VM), August 2015