Masseto IGT Toscana 2012 1,5 L Ornellaia

The 2012 Masseto is seductive from the first sip. The 2011 edition of this wine was very successful, and not too different in character from this wine. What the 2012 vintage offers instead is a level of textural richness and creaminess that is absolutely outstanding. The very nature of the fruit feels velvety and silky smooth, without a single ripple. The bouquet reveals upfront aromas of dark cherry and spice that are contrasted perfectly against one another. Classic vintages of Masseto include 2001 and 2006. The 2012 vintage doesn't offer the same backbone firmness as those years, but it offers lots more exuberant richness instead. Some 32,000 bottles were produced. The wine should hold forward for many, many years.

Of course the exciting news from Ornellaia this year is the introduction of a new white wine. Readers can learn more about this wine in the video I shot with winemaker Alex Heinz that is posted to www.erobertparker.com. The 2013 Ornellaia Bianco Toscana is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier that is released in limited production numbers. Only 4,000 bottles were made. The idea here was to craft a white wine with the same soaring ambition and lofty goals as the celebrated Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore that is, hands down, one of the best wines made in Italy. I enjoyed a terrific tasting of this venerated estate's new products.

Fantastic aromas of lavender, rosemary, violets and currants. Full body, a wonderful concentration of fruit yet tense and taunt energy. The new wood is exposed now but will become integrated and polished. Give it three or four years together. The pure merlot magic is there. The 2011 was a perfect wine, and this is very close indeed.

Black cherry and cedar aromas lead off. This is more juicy than rich, offering black cherry, black currant, mineral and spice flavors. A firm, dense structure upholds the broad frame and ample fruit, picking up a tobacco note on the lingering finish. Merlot.—Non-blind Masseto vertical (October 2017). Best from 2021 through 2040.

The 2012 Masseto is an incredibly sexy wine. I can’t believe how expressive it is here. The year was mostly warm and dry, but not excessively so. Raspberry jam, mint, spice, white chocolate and sweet floral notes all race out of the glass. Sumptuous in feel, with gorgeous, open-knit fruit and soaring aromatic intensity, the 2012 dazzles from start to finish. What a wine!