Ornellaia’s second wine is a blend of 54% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot with maturation taking place in barriques, 25% of which were new, for a period of 15 months. Pitch black core with a very deep dark red black hue. Cassis, black cherry and liquorice scents sail out of the glass with some cedary tobacco, dried herb, scorched earth and spice notes also evident. Rich blackcurrant and ripe dark cherry fruits carry ample weight and flesh across the palate. Liquorice, vanillin cedar, scorched earth, dried herb and spicy tobacco characters also chime in. Firm slightly drying tannins lend some grip to the long robust aftertaste that has a rustic touch to it. Cellar 6-8 years. Alc. 14.5%

One of the most expensive Bordeaux wines - and indeed, one of the priciest anywhere - Le Pin is a surprisingly recent arrival on the global stage, with its first vintage having been produced just decades ago in 1979. Originally priced at a modest 700 francs, the praise garnered by the 1982 vintage propelled Le Pin into the global limelight, with sales from that point on par with - or exceeding - those of First Growth Bordeaux wines. An exotic style of Bordeaux, Le Pin possesses a resplendent, lavish mouth-feel with intensely ripe fruit aromas and hints of smoke on the palate.