Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Ornellaia 2008 Bollinger Beautifully vibrant

Beautifully vibrant

full of pure citrus fruit with green pepper and subtle herbal hints on the nose

balsamic notes and a long

accessible style of the local Ribolla grape - one of Italy's most notable native white grapes

This year's blend is mostly skin-contact Pinot Gris

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Ornellaia 2008 Bollinger Beautifully vibrantVery sweet, ripe, lush and velevety 'California' nose. But with a little more freshness (and obvious tannin) than the 2007. Just slight heat on the end. Sweet but zesty some might think too sinewy but I treasure the balance it gives. Not quite ready yet but promises well so long as it doesn't get too stringy. At the moment there is a gap between all that ripeness and the corset. Jancisrobinson. com (17)