Dell ‘Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove 2015 Tuscan Blend

I ordered this wine off the list at Fleming’s Steakhouse after seeing The Meg 2 – The Trench. This big wine certainly continued the Megaladon theme of the night: it packed a punch in other words. It was a beautiful garnet color in the glass and very smooth in texture. I tasted red and black fruit and a hint of eucalyptus, maybe some more earthy herbs like thyme. But the tannins were very tight, and when the waitress announced the kitchen was closing and we would have to rush our dinner, I knew this wine would not open up in time to reach its full potential. I suspect the wine would have been much better after a few hours when it might have softened a bit. It was a good foil to the fatty bone-in rib-eye I was eating, but it needed more time.

What did the critics say?

James Suckling said: Plenty of blackberry and rust with tile and stone undertones. Full body, tannic and structured. A big and flavorful red. Better in 2020 when it is a little softer.

Robert Parker said: This is a stunning and exuberant wine that drinks with beautiful intensity and personality. The 2015 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is made with fruit from the estate’s young vines. Fruit from the older vines is instead directed to the top-shelf expressions. If this wine is any indication of what we can expect from the next vintage of Ornellaia to hit the market, we are in for a very special treat. This is a complete and richly concentrated expression that drinks with seamless intensity. It pits power against elegance with confidence and grace.

Wine Spectator said: Lush and modern, this evokes black cherry, blackberry, plum and light earth and iron flavors. A dusty swath of tannins girds the finish, but this should come together nicely in a year or two. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2020 through 2028.

Community Wine Reviews at the Natalie Maclean web site said: Le Serre Nuove Dell’ornellaia (2015) is made from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot wine grapes from the Tuscany wine region. The wine is big, dark, full-bodied, smoky with an incredible dark fruit, dried tobacco and spicy long length. Could easily cellar for five more years and if drinking now, decant two hours prior to serving with a hunk of beef grilled rare.