The 2019 Orma is the flagship red from Podere Orma, a small estate in coastal Tuscany’s Bolgheri zone owned by Antonio Moretti (also of Tenuta Sette Ponti). Labeled Toscana IGT, it’s a Merlot-led Bordeaux blend—50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc—grown on a compact holding. Jane Anson notes “7.5ha of vines located in the same corner of Tuscany as Sassicaia and Ornellaia,” underscoring the pedigree of the neighborhood.
In aroma and flavor, reviewers consistently point to ripe dark fruit paired with an herbal, spicy edge. Decanter highlights “perfumed red and black fruits alongside spicy eucalyptus,” while Monica Larner (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate) describes “blackberry, candied cherry, spice, white pepper and even a speck of red chili flake,” plus “a pop of sour cherry” on the palate. The overall feel is modern Bolgheri: generous fruit, clear structure, and polish rather than rusticity.
Structure is a defining feature in this vintage, and the top reviews are explicit that time will help. James Suckling delivers an excellent 97-point score, calling it “tight and powerful… full-bodied and focused with intense structure and fruit character,” adding, “Perhaps the best Orma ever,” and recommending patience: “Try after 2025.” Decanter (94 points) similarly finds “power and freshness… and definitely an elegance,” but says it is “tight and somewhat closed at the moment.” Anson (93 points) agrees it’s “fairly knitted down,” advising that if you open it now, “ensure you are decanting for a few hours.”
Site details reinforce why the wine carries weight: Larner notes vineyards at “60 meters above sea level” with “soils rich in pebbles and clay with a little sand.” Taken together, 2019 Orma reads as a cellar-worthy, tightly built Bolgheri-style red with high-toned aromatics, dense fruit, and the balance to reward a few years’ wait.
