Displays beautiful aromas of ripe fruit, with currant, plum and blackberry. Complex and full-bodied, with soft, polished tannins and a long, long finish. This shows a deft hand in the winemaking. Best after 2012. Score: 95. —James Suckling, 2008.

Wine Advocate The medium-bodied 2005 Ornellaia shows plenty of delineation in its dark cherries, blueberries, spices, minerals and crushed rocks. The 2005 doesn’t have the detail of the 2004 or the richness of the 2006, but it does offer notable finesse and clarity in an understated style for this wine. My impression is that this will be a relatively early-maturing vintage of Ornellaia, which is not a bad thing, considering the age-worthiness of the two vintages which surround it. In 2005 Ornellaia is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. It is a big success in this vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. Score: 93. —Antonio Galloni, June 2008.

Very expressive nose with touches of balsamic, herbs and black fruits. The palate really fleshes out into bold cassis fruit but with a tight, tannic structure. The fruit is coulis in character, with dissolved vanilla oak notes. Lovely touches of spice, smoke, even mint shows themselves with a vital core of acidity and great length of flavour. This is a complex and very fine wine that needs at least 5 years to integrate fully, with potential to develop further beyond. In summary, a fine, medium term Ornellaia. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2010. Nick Adams MW