Col d'Orcia Olmaia Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
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Spectator
Wine - Vinous
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Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Smart and elegant, with typical notes ripe pepper and blackberries, perfectly balanced with the spicy vanilla-flowered notes from the oak. Full-bodied, meaty, and well-structured, culminating in a long, elegant finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
The purity of the cherry and berry fruit in this red is impressive, as are the dense, dusty tannins providing backbone. This is fresh too, with supporting flavors of flowers, leather, iron and tree bark, showing excellent length. Best from 2023 through 2038.
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Vinous
Blackberries, currants, sage and mint waft up from the young yet totally seductive 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Olmaia. It’s elegant and polished in feel, with a burst of ripe dark fruits which are quickly firmed up by fine yet saturating tannins. The opulence found within is seductive, and all is kept in check by its heroic structure, coming across as youthfully cheek-puckering with hints of licorice and minerals. I wish I had hours to stay with this glass, because there’s still so much going on beneath the surface. The 2015 is simply stunning, with over a decade of positive maturation in store for patient collectors. Best after 2025.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the unsung grapes of Montalcino, and because this appellation is whole-heartedly focused on Sangiovese, we only get rare opportunities to taste the French grape. The Col d'Orcia 2015 Sant'Antimo Cabernet Olmaia is a beautiful wine and one that has enthusiastically embraced the deep warmth and golden sunlight of the vintage. You taste those hot-vintage characteristics in the fullness, richness and softness of the fruit on display here. This is no doubt the best vintage I have thus far tasted of Olmaia, and the wine has evidently found new confidence in this 2015 expression. Black fruit aromas cede to richer tones of spice and dark chocolate with very subtle hints of candied cherry or baked blackberry.
Rating: 93+ -
James Suckling
Lots of ripe fruit with currants, black chocolate and plums on the nose and palate. Full body, ripe tannins and a flavorful finish. It’s tannic, polished and tight. From organically grown grapes. Give it two or three years of bottle age. Try after 2022.
Other Vintages
2016-
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb
- Vinous
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Parker
Robert
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Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James
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Enthusiast
Wine
As one of the original estates of Montalcino and now the largest certified organic estate in Tuscany, Col d’Orcia is a leader in Brunello di Montalcino, helping to define and promote one of Italy’s most prestigious wine regions. Tradition, integrity and sustainability are the pillars of the estate, whose classic style wines are celebrated all over the world.
Situated on the outskirts of the medieval hilltop village of Montalcino in Tuscany’s Siena province, the estate has a rich winemaking history that dates back to the 1700s. In 1973, the estate was purchased by the Cinzano family, who markedly increased the vineyard holdings. They are now the third largest owner of Brunello vineyards in Montalcino. Proudly defined as an ‘organic island,’ Col d’Orcia is committed to maintaining the natural environment in which it operates and has, for many years, employed organic farming practices. The entire estate includes vineyards, gardens, olive groves, tobacco and wheat fields, which are all farmed following exclusively organic agricultural practices. In 2010, the estate underwent the organic farming certification process and is now the largest certified organic wine producing farm in all of Tuscany.
The estate’s name translates to “the hill overlooking the Orcia River,” due to its position in the undulating hills between the Orcia River and Sant’Angelo in Colle. Here, southern orientations provide vines with abundant exposure to sunshine and vineyard soils comprised of limestone and marl facilitate natural irrigation. Located at about 1500 feet above sea level, the estate is favorably positioned against Mount Amiata (5,700 feet) which helps shield the property from floods and hail. The climate is typically Mediterranean, with limited rainfall coming in from the Tyrrhenian coast, 21 miles away.
The estate is currently owned and managed by Count Francesco Marone Cinzano. A world traveler with boundless energy, the Count is a tireless ambassador for his estate as well as the Montalcino region. Under his leadership, plantings have expanded exponentially at Col d’Orcia and the estate has been transformed into an organic farm.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.