“This is 100% Cabernet Franc from a seven-hectare site at a cool 500 meters in elevation in the Orcia Valley of Tuscany. The Podere Forte 2018 Guardavigna Orniello opens to medium-dark intensity with plush dark fruit aromas and a good amount of oak spice to soften the load. Blackberry and black cherry are framed by nutmeg and toasted cinnamon. The mouthfeel works very nicely here, showing elegance and a rather streamlined style. This wine gracefully resists any temptation for heaviness or over-ripeness. Like other wines from this estate, this is certified organic and biodynamic.” — Wine Advocate, Mar 2024

“Peppery and wildly intense, the 2018 Guardiavigna Orniello opens with masses of dried roses, savory herbs, dusty blackberries and exotic spice. It soothes with its soft textures, but it’s sleek and poised, showing red wild berry fruits underscored by saline minerals as a bump of sour citrus adds contrast. The 2018 finishes long and staining, with a coating of fine-grained tannins and hints of licorice that slowly fade over a saturation of primary concentration.” — Vinous, Mar 2024