Jane Anson: 100 Punkte
"Moreish, confident and well judged, this is smoky yet ethereal, muscular yet light, wonderfully juicy and fragrant, with a perfectly judged blend of lightness of touch set against an unmistakable punch of damson, loganberry and red cherry fruits. Liquorice, tapenade and slate ensure the texture is slow and steady, and this is just a fabulous wine. Marco Balsimelli director, 65% new oak for ageing." (02/2026)
Decanter: 96 Punkte
"A surprisingly lightweight and finessed Ornellaia – the first full vintage under the watchful gaze of ex-Bordeaux winemaker Marco Balsimelli. Rose and violet fragrance introduces crunchy hedgerow berry flavours kissed by menthol, cardamom, black pepper and petrichor. Breezy-fresh and with good intensity, it's a slender, vertical shape in the mouth, with fine, slightly firm but ripe tannins and lipsmacking sapidity. Balsimelli notes that the sandy soils helped the plentiful spring rains to drain, and once past the threat of disease the water reserves proved useful for the hot summer. There was some rain in late August, while September featured cool nights, preserving aromatics and ensuring perfect ripening for all the estate's varieties. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot." - James Button (02/2026)
The Drinks Business: 96 Punkte
"Silky, soft, enticing, dark and rich. Cassis. Cedar. Graphite. Very classical. Very suave. Very glossy but not in any sense polished or worked, this feels entirely natural. Black cherries, liquorice, graphite again and brambles on the palate. Spherical at the core and with a certain succulence, this has very significant aging potential. The freshness is integral and that brings a tension rare in this hot vintage. Well-managed. The liquorice on the finish is, for now, just a little dominating, crowding our the cedar for now. A hot vintage edition of Ornellaia (though with little hydric stress and no sustained heat spikes), but one that has been very well managed retaining its essential vitality." - Colin Hay (03/2026)
