Tenuta Sette Ponti : Oreno 2021

A new wine to the Place de Bordeaux this September. Dark bramble fruit and intense floral and savoury aromatics, liquorice and olive with blueberry and rose nuances. Succulent and mouthwatering yet tight and focused, the tannins are grippy but give direction rather than weight or width. This remains quite straight on the palate, persistent in a single line from start to finish. I love the juiciness, the strawberry juice with herbal accents and clean iron, minerality that comes across as slightly tangy and spiced on the finish, lingering with a savoury olive note. Feels well made, if still taut, with a playful core and a lovely sense of place. A blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot with an average vine age of 20–30 years. Aged 18 months in small barrels and one year in bottle prior to release.

Fruity, floral aromas of dried cherries, raspberries and violets on the nose open up into more savory notes of pencil shavings and hot tar before a palate of more mixed berries rolls over savory, earthy notes, with a hint of orange pith adding astringency through a long, umami-rich finish.

A blend of organic 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot (aged in barrique for 16 months), the 2021 Oreno comes in a heavy glass bottle and reveals richly concentrated aromas to match. You get black fruit, toasted barbecue spice, mahogany and smoke. There are pronounced herbal notes with grilled sage and rosemary. This wine definitely embraces a full-bodied, old-school style that is heavily influenced by Bordeaux. Production is 48,000 bottles.