“While the Orma winery may have yet to leave any indelible mark on the Tuscan winemaking scene, it is clearly heading in the right direction,” writes Smart.
The estate is located on the prestigious Via Bolgherese, running between Sassicaia and Ornellaia
The term “Super Tuscans” may not enjoy the cachet it once did, but no one disputes that some of these wines are among Italy’s finest. In fact thirty years ago, my introduction to fine wines came from a friend who had made it big in advertising and became a Sassicaia devotee. At the time it seemed a wild indulgence. But the decades have only cemented the international reputation of what were once renegade winemakers.
The story of the Super Tuscans is the stuff of wine lore. These wines were made with Bordeaux varieties and aged in small barrels of new French oak. Breaking local rules, they were initially treated with contempt and forced to use first the humble vina da tavola and then Indicazione Geografica Tipica designation.
But the sheer quality of the top wines was – and is – undeniable. This runaway success triggered an investment frenzy in Bolgheri, Tuscany’s local coastal region. And in 2004 Tuscan producer Tenuta Sette Ponti owned by the Moretti Cuseri family acquired Orma, a 5.5 hectare location on the prestigious Via Bolgherese, running between Sassicaia and Ornellaia.
This area boasts pebbly, clay-rich soils rather than the sandier soils found nearer to the sea.
Alberto and Amedeo Moretti Cuseri presenting Orma 2021, London, February 9, 2024
From the start, the Cuseri family’s aim has been to provide an elegant and intriguingly new interpretation of the traditional blends of Bordeaux. “Orma” means “footprint” and the hope has been that the winery will one day leave a permanent mark on the locale’s winemaking. The third generation, Alberto and Amedeo Moretti Cuseri, are in London at Bocca di Lupo’s wine room to display what they have so far achieved.
The flagship Orma wine is a blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot is there for elegance, the Cabernet Sauvignon for structure and the Cabernet Franc lends finesse with a fusion of the three promoted by the use of barriques. The ABV is consistently around 15%.
We start with the Orma 2021 in magnum with its characteristic deep ruby and garnet colour. Even at this young age, the wine comes across as well-balanced. But the Orma 2020 has clearly started to open up more with nice blackberry and blackcurrant on the nose. And the elegance of the tannin is beginning to emerge.
The Orma 2015 comes from a fantastic vintage – a “Champagne moment” in the words of the Cuseri brothers. There’s power and freshness and an elegance, and all the structure and length that you typically associate with a Super Tuscan here. The company did shift a bit in style over the years. In the latter years, it’s gone easy on the oak.
The Orma 2009 is a “big shouldered wine” with hints of tobacco and lots of oak, for example. It has grippy tannins and more marked leathery, savoury notes. Because of the climatic conditions in 2008 that vintage was, exceptionally, rather more in the ‘new style’, making it a wonderful bridge between new and old. Round and voluptuous with great acidity.
These are all powerful wines, well able to hold their own in the restaurant’s parings with hearty dishes such as the pappardelle with wild boar ragu we are served.
Able to stand up to hearty game dishes
We are only here to taste the top-end wines, all of which routinely garner reviews of around 96 points. While the Orma winery may have yet to leave any indelible mark on the Tuscan winemaking scene, it is clearly heading in the right direction.
For those who don’t have deep pockets or an inclination to splurge, there are also four cheaper ranges: Toscana IGT, Passi di Orma Bolgheri DOC, Rosso di Orma, Bianco di Orma Toscana IGT and a Bolgheri Superiore.
Prices of Orma vary from £40-66 per bottle In Bond when buying a case of six
