2017 Ornellaia

These new releases from Ornellaia are very good examples for their respective vintages. Le Volte is especially fine in 2023. Its combination of floral top notes and vibrant fruit is quite appealing. The flagship Ornellaia shows how advantaged blends are in challenging vintages such as 2022. Fine tuning makes all the difference. That is so evident in tasting it next to some of the single-variety wines of Bolgheri. The 2022 is the last vintage vinified by Estate Director Axel Heinz, who left in early 2023. The new team led by Winemaker Denise Cosentino and Production Manager Marco Balsimelli finished and bottled the 2022s. Yields are down because of intense heat and drought. The winemaking team favored light extractions, with a bit more time on the skins than typical for the Merlot, as it was harder to extract. The 2023 whites strike me as quite giving and accessible, even in the early going.

The 2021 Ornellaia is every bit as impressive as the components were when I tasted them during a visit to the property in September 2022. Harvest started early, in the last days of August, and then continued for several weeks. It’s a vintage with very high extract, more than even years like 2006, and yet the wine feels incredibly finessed, the result of gentler extraction overall and a lighter hand with oak. The last few years have seen a clear move towards complementing and balancing the natural opulence of Bolgheri rather than emphasizing it – as was sometimes the case in the past – and it shows. The Bianco, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, is also terrific.

In other news, Ornellaia has a new team headed by Technical Director Marco Balsimelli and Winemaker Denise Cosentino, both of whom joined following the departure of longtime Estate Director Axel Heinz and Winemaker Olga Fusari. Balsimelli worked alongside highly respected Bordeaux consultant Eric Boissenot for more than a decade, while Cosentino was most recently Winemaker at Domaines Barons de Rothchild’s Long Dai winery in Shandong, China. Balsimelli and Cosentino have stellar educational pedigrees and resumes. It will be interesting to see what the next chapter brings.

There's quite a bit of news at Ornellaia and sister estate Masseto. Longtime Estate Manager Axel Heinz departed the wineries earlier this summer for his native Bordeaux, which opens a new chapter for both estates. “Two thousand-twenty was the last in a trio of vintages with more rain than usual and no drought, but quite a bit of heat during summer." Heinz explained. "Temperatures moderated in August, with the arrival of cool evenings. We picked quite a bit of Merlot early for the aromatics. Temperatures then rose markedly, leading to a week of rain, and then finally to good weather through to the end of harvest."

The 2020 wines strike me as quite aromatic in profile, with medium-bodied structures and a bit more restraint than is the norm. The 2021s, on the other hand, are more typical of Bolgheri. They possess notable textural resonance and volume, with fine-grained tannins and the exceptional balance of a great year.

“We had a very cool spring in 2019 and almost as much rain as 2018,” Ornellaia and Masseto Estate Manager Axel Heinz relayed. “The biggest difference between the two years is that summer was much drier in 2019. We saw good diurnal shifts leading up to what was a late harvest. For example, we did not have to rush to pick the Merlots, as we often do. Harvest was a week later than 2018.”

The biggest shift I have seen at both estates is a focus on gentler winemaking. I have tasted the new releases from Ornellaia and Masseto at the same time every year for over fifteen years and vividly recall what were once brutally forbidding young wines. That is rarely the case these days. One thing about 2019 is that the alcohols are on the high side despite the lack of shock weather events. “In Bolgheri lack of excess heat lets the vines work very efficiently, which can result in higher sugars, whereas alcohols are often lower in years with excess heat, where the vines shut down to conserve energy.”

“We had a very cool spring in 2019 and almost as much rain as 2018,” Ornellaia and Masseto Estate Manager Axel Heinz relayed. “The biggest difference between the two years is that summer was much drier in 2019. We saw good diurnal shifts leading up to what was a late harvest. For example, we did not have to rush to pick the Merlots, as we often do. Harvest was a week later than 2018.”

The biggest shift I have seen at both estates is a focus on gentler winemaking. I have tasted the new releases from Ornellaia and Masseto at the same time every year for over fifteen years and vividly recall what were once brutally forbidding young wines. That is rarely the case these days. One thing about 2019 is that the alcohols are on the high side despite the lack of shock weather events. “In Bolgheri lack of excess heat lets the vines work very efficiently, which can result in higher sugars, whereas alcohols are often lower in years with excess heat, where the vines shut down to conserve energy.”

This is a terrific set of new releases from Ornellaia. The 2018 reds in particular are just gorgeous. Gracious and medium in body, the 2018 encapsulate the personality and style of the year so well. A long, cool growing season yielded reds that are more about finesse than power.

Readers will find plenty to like in these new and upcoming releases from Ornellaia. The 2018s, which I tasted prior to bottling, show the mid-weight style of the year. The winemaking team led by Axel Heinz opted for longer macerations in 2018, with the goal of getting as much out of the wines as possible. Vintage 2017 posed an entirely different set of challenges. The harvest was early and condensed, while winemaking was much gentler.

Estate Manager Axel Heinz describes 2016 as a stress-free vintage in which there was no time pressure to pick. A healthy, clean crop allowed for standard vinification of 3-4 weeks on the skins at high temperatures, which is typical here. In 2017, unrelenting hot, dry conditions dehydrated the fruit. Yields were down 35%, while the berries were the smallest since 2011. As a result, Heinz and his team took a very different approach in the cellar, with lower temperatures in vinification and gentler extractions.

Estate Manager Axel Heinz describes 2016 as a stress-free vintage in which there was no time pressure to pick. A healthy, clean crop allowed for standard vinification of 3-4 weeks on the skins at high temperatures, which is typical here. In 2017, unrelenting hot, dry conditions dehydrated the fruit. Yields were down 35%, while the berries were the smallest since 2011. As a result, Heinz and his team took a very different approach in the cellar, with lower temperatures in vinification and gentler extractions.

This is a stellar set of current releases from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia and winemaker Axel Heinz. The 2015 Serre Nuove and Ornellaia both express the personality of the year beautifully in their totally impeccable sense of balance. The same is true of Masseto, which is reviewed here separately. Heinz told me that after the 2013 vintage, he and the winemaking team felt more at ease in allowing the personality of the vintage, especially cooler years, to come through in the wines, rather than feeling that a house style had to be imposed at all costs. The 2015 growing season was unique in Bolgheri. From the first of July to mid-October, temperatures were unrelentingly hot. From mid August though, days became unseasonably cool, which gave the grapes added hangtime and extended the harvest longer than originally predicted.

This is a stellar set of current releases from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia and winemaker Axel Heinz. The 2015 Serre Nuove and Ornellaia both express the personality of the year beautifully in their totally impeccable sense of balance. The same is true of Masseto, which is reviewed here separately. Heinz told me that after the 2013 vintage, he and the winemaking team felt more at ease in allowing the personality of the vintage, especially cooler years, to come through in the wines, rather than feeling that a house style had to be imposed at all costs. The 2015 growing season was unique in Bolgheri. From the first of July to mid-October, temperatures were unrelentingly hot. From mid August though, days became unseasonably cool, which gave the grapes added hangtime and extended the harvest longer than originally predicted.

Tuscany's 2014 vintage produced striking whites at Tenuta dell'Ornellaia. That's the good news. Judging by Le Volte and Le Serre Nuove, the reds are shaping up to be much more modest. The 2014 Ornellaia had just been bottled at the time of my visit, and Masseto was still in barrel, so it is too soon to have a view on the entire vintage here. To be sure, the middle of the summer - July and August in particular - were cold and rainy, which made ripeness hard to achieve and also increased disease pressure. The end of the summer and early fall were much more positive, but by then some of the fruit had been compromised. The 2013 Ornellaia and Masseto, on the other hand, continue to develop positively. The wines are restrained in style relative to the norm, but also appear to be holding quite a bit back in reserve. Flowering was late, but there was plenty of heat during the summer. Temperatures turned cooler towards the end of the season which caused large diurnal shifts and gradual ripening, with a harvest that took place between September 9 and October 13, which is on the later side by today's standards.

When I was invited to join a Tuscan-themed dinner in the private room at 67 Pall Mall, I eagerly accepted. I wanted to reacquaint myself with its wines and placate my palate, which was protesting that it wanted to taste anything other than Cabernet or Pinot Noir. The bottles were deeply impressive and showcased Tuscany at its best.

It's always a pleasure to visit Ornellaia and taste with Axel Heinz. A native of Bordeaux, where he still maintains deep roots, Heinz is now one of the world's most in-demand winemakers. Not surprisingly, Heinz has recently been promoted to Estate Manager, with full control of vineyard and winemaking operations. Heinz describes 2013 as a cool year that was the latest-ripening vintage on record at Ornellaia, although it was surpassed the very next year. Flowering took a full two weeks as opposed to the 4-5 days that is more typical here. Rain in spring and early summer delayed ripening, but heat returned in July. Rain provided the booked to the end of the Cabernet Sauvignon growing season. So far, the 2013s I have tasted are aromatically expressive, lithe and refined, as one would expect. Things were quite different in 2012. Like the preceding vintage, 2012 was very warm and dry to the point of pushing the vines into stress, but a cooling trend in September restored balance. Rain just before harvest

Ornellaia's 2011s and 2012s are both highly expressive of their respective vintages. I remember stopping by Ornellaia in mid-August 2011, just as the harvest at Masseto was about to get started. It was very hot and dry, even for Bolgheri. Not surprisingly, those qualities show up in the wines. In challenging years Ornellaia can be more complete than Masseto because winemaker Axel Heinz can react to the vintage by optimizing the final blend. That is very much the case in 2011. When it comes to Masseto, however, the potential and limits of Merlot are on full display. The 2012s benefit from cooler growing season, especially in the summer months, where there were greater diurnal shifts. Readers looking for an attractive, mid-tier alternative to Tuscany's heavy hitters should check out Le Serre di Ornellaia, which has been particularly strong in recent years.

This is a dazzling set of wines from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia. Winemaker Axel Heinz describes 2010 as the most atypical vintage he has ever seen. The harvest got off to a very late start, but ended in line with years such as 2004 and 2005. As an example, in 2010 Ornellaia started bringing in the Merlot on September 13, whereas in most years the entire Merlot crop is in the cellar by that date. The estate did more leaf pulling than normal in order to get the fruit ripe. Over the years, Ornellaia's wines from later harvests, even those of much lower overall quality, have aged exceptionally well. I expect that will be the case here as well. I also tasted the 2011s, from a diametrically opposite vintage, right after bottling. Those wines have the highest dry extracts ever seen at Ornellaia. It will be fascinating to see how the 2011s develop in the next year. Readers might want to see this video interview with Axel Heinz or my impressions of the 2010s, also on video.

This is a dazzling set of wines from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia. Winemaker Axel Heinz describes 2010 as the most atypical vintage he has ever seen. The harvest got off to a very late start, but ended in line with years such as 2004 and 2005. As an example, in 2010 Ornellaia started bringing in the Merlot on September 13, whereas in most years the entire Merlot crop is in the cellar by that date. The estate did more leaf pulling than normal in order to get the fruit ripe. Over the years, Ornellaia's wines from later harvests, even those of much lower overall quality, have aged exceptionally well. I expect that will be the case here as well. I also tasted the 2011s, from a diametrically opposite vintage, right after bottling. Those wines have the highest dry extracts ever seen at Ornellaia. It will be fascinating to see how the 2011s develop in the next year. Readers might want to see this video interview with Axel Heinz or my impressions of the 2010s, also on video.

The 2009 vintage was not easy at Tenuta dell'Ornellaia because of the scorching hot summer. Readers may want to take a look at my video interview with Axel Heinz for more on the vintage.

The 2009 vintage was not easy at Tenuta dell'Ornellaia because of the scorching hot summer. Readers may want to take a look at my video interview with Axel Heinz for more on the vintage.

This is another strong set of wines from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia.

This wine was tasted as part of a an Ornellaia and Masseto Retrospective hosted by Vinous on December 5, 2016. The tasting spanned eight iconic, reference point vintages; 2010, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2001, 1998, 1997 and 1995. All of the wines were served from magnum. Most of the Ornellaia magnums were from the Archivio Storico collection of library wines. The bottles were purchased from the estate, ensuring perfect provenance.

This is a beautiful set of new releases from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

This set of new 2006s from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia leaves me looking for words that can adequately capture the pure magic and sheer profoundness the property has achieved in this important, hallmark vintage. I will try with one word: Monumental. The Ornellaia team led by Oenologist Axel Heinz and Agronomist/General Manager Leonardo Raspini has done a fabulous job with these wines, which have never failed to literally send shivers down my spine on the multiple occasions I have tasted them. At this stage the 2007 Serre Nuove, Ornellaia and Masseto are shaping up to be ripe, relatively early-drinking wines without the stuffing or sheer vibrancy of the 2006s. I recently had the privilege of revisiting 17 vintages of Ornellaia (all from magnum) spanning vintages 1985-2006 at an incredible tasting that will be covered in an in-depth article on www.erobertparker.com in the coming months.

Tenuta dell'Ornella and sister winery Masseto show why they are among the world's top estates with the 2005s. Ornellaia often has an advantage in weaker vintages, as the winemaking team can work with the blend of varieties to partly compensate for the shortcomings of a vintage, something that is not possible with the 100% Merlot Masseto. And yet both 2005s here are terrific. The harvest started on September 30, a record that has been matched only by 2010 and 2014 in Ornellaia's history.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

It is impossible not to be impressed by the consistent results Ornellaia achieves year after year. This is a gorgeous set of wines from oenologist Axel Heinz and agronomist/General Manager Leonardo Raspini. In general, the estate's 2005s are smaller-scaled wines than is often the case, but they offer remarkable balance and plenty of style. As outstanding as the 2005s are, the 2006s are simply off the charts. They are thrilling wines that have tons of everything; fruit, acidity and structure to burn. Even though 2005 was a fresher vintage than 2006, Heinz reported that the 2006s have higher acidities that developed as a result of the unique qualities of the growing season.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is without question one of Italy's blue-chip properties. The gorgeous, sprawling estate is located in Bolgheri in Tuscany's Maremma. On a recent visit I had the opportunity to taste a number of the estate's wines with General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini and Oenologist Axel Heinz, including verticals of the estate's top bottlings Ornellaia and Masseto. Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired blend consisting principally of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. In 2003 a small percentage of Petit Verdot was introduced. The use of several varietals gives the winemaking team the luxury of being able to tailor the exact proportion of the blend to the specific strengths of a given vintage. Because the blend tends to vary from year to year in a vertical tasting Ornellaia shows many different facets of its personality. After harvest the varietals are vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration lasts between 25-30 days after which the wines are moved into French oak barrels where they age for 12 months. The wines are then racked and assembled into the final blend, which spends an additional six months in barrel prior to being bottled. The percentage of new oak has risen from 50%, which was used for vintages 1997 and 1998, to 60% used in 1999, to the 70% the estate has employed since 2000. “Our last three vintages could not have been more different,” explains General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini. “For us 2004 was a terrific vintage, one that combines very high quality with quantity. It may sound hard to believe but here those two go hand in hand. The weather throughout the summer and into the fall was very stable which allowed us to pick each parcel at the optimum level of ripeness. We are happy with all of our wines, from top to bottom.”

“Our last three vintages could not have been more different,” explains General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini. “For us 2004 was a terrific vintage, one that combines very high quality with quantity. It may sound hard to believe but here those two go hand in hand. The weather throughout the summer and into the fall was very stable which allowed us to pick each parcel at the optimum level of ripeness. We are happy with all of our wins, from top to bottom.” “2003 was of course a very hot vintage. Other than leaving as much leaf cover as possible there wasn't much we could do. It was an exceedingly dry summer although we did get a little rain in mid-September which helped the later-ripening Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfortunately the Merlot was too far along in its maturation for the rain to have any effect. Because we had better results with our Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in 2003 Ornellaia contains a higher percentage of those varietals. It was an even more challenging vintage for Merlot. For our Massseto we were only able to use the oldest, central part of the vineyard. That said, the vines held up well and our harvest was only a week or so earlier than normal. Relative to other vintages the polyphenol readings were lower than usual so we did slightly longer fermentations to try to extract as a much as possible from the fruit. Our overall production was down about 30%.” “Vintage 2002 was a different story altogether. The summer, especially August, was very rainy. It was clear pretty early on that we wouldn't be able to make the kind of wines we like most, those that express the power of Bolgheri. So we opted for a more varietal expression in the wines. In the cellar our vinifications were pretty much in line with what we do most years. We made our biggest adjustments in the aging of the wines, leaving the wines in oak for a shorter time than is normally the case.” In a similar vein, the 2002 and 2003 vintages demonstrate why Masseto is Italy's most consistently outstanding Merlot. Neither vintage presented anything resembling ideal conditions yet the wines have turned out beautifully. The estate's 2002s show why Tenuta dell”Ornellaia is one of Italy's premier properties. Those obsessed with points will chase the higher rated 2003s and 2004s, but consumers who buy wines to drink them would do well to consider these 2002s especially given that pricing should be favorable. The 2002s are by no means the equal of the estate's top wines but they will offer useful drinking while the more important vintages reach maturity.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is without question one of Italy's blue-chip properties. The gorgeous, sprawling estate is located in Bolgheri in Tuscany's Maremma. On a recent visit I had the opportunity to taste a number of the estate's wines with General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini and Oenologist Axel Heinz, including verticals of the estate's top bottlings Ornellaia and Masseto. Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired blend consisting principally of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. In 2003 a small percentage of Petit Verdot was introduced. The use of several varietals gives the winemaking team the luxury of being able to tailor the exact proportion of the blend to the specific strengths of a given vintage. Because the blend tends to vary from year to year in a vertical tasting Ornellaia shows many different facets of its personality. After harvest the varietals are vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration lasts between 25-30 days after which the wines are moved into French oak barrels where they age for 12 months. The wines are then racked and assembled into the final blend, which spends an additional six months in barrel prior to being bottled. The percentage of new oak has risen from 50%, which was used for vintages 1997 and 1998, to 60% used in 1999, to the 70% the estate has employed since 2000. “2003 was of course a very hot vintage. Other than leaving as much leaf cover as possible there wasn't much we could do. It was an exceedingly dry summer although we did get a little rain in mid- September which helped the later-ripening Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfortunately the Merlot was too far along in its maturation for the rain to have any effect. Because we had better results with our Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in 2003, Ornellaia contains a higher percentage of those varietals. It was an even more challenging vintage for Merlot. For our Masseto we were only able to use the oldest, central part of the vineyard. That said, the vines held up well and our harvest was only a week or so earlier than normal. Relative to other vintages the polyphenol readings were lower than usual so we did slightly longer fermentations to try to extract as much as possible from the fruit. Our overall production was down about 30%.”

“Our last three vintages could not have been more different,” explains General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini. “For us 2004 was a terrific vintage, one that combines very high quality with quantity. It may sound hard to believe but here those two go hand in hand. The weather throughout the summer and into the fall was very stable which allowed us to pick each parcel at the optimum level of ripeness. We are happy with all of our wins, from top to bottom.” “2003 was of course a very hot vintage. Other than leaving as much leaf cover as possible there wasn't much we could do. It was an exceedingly dry summer although we did get a little rain in mid-September which helped the later-ripening Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfortunately the Merlot was too far along in its maturation for the rain to have any effect. Because we had better results with our Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in 2003 Ornellaia contains a higher percentage of those varietals. It was an even more challenging vintage for Merlot. For our Massseto we were only able to use the oldest, central part of the vineyard. That said, the vines held up well and our harvest was only a week or so earlier than normal. Relative to other vintages the polyphenol readings were lower than usual so we did slightly longer fermentations to try to extract as a much as possible from the fruit. Our overall production was down about 30%.” “Vintage 2002 was a different story altogether. The summer, especially August, was very rainy. It was clear pretty early on that we wouldn't be able to make the kind of wines we like most, those that express the power of Bolgheri. So we opted for a more varietal expression in the wines. In the cellar our vinifications were pretty much in line with what we do most years. We made our biggest adjustments in the aging of the wines, leaving the wines in oak for a shorter time than is normally the case.” In a similar vein, the 2002 and 2003 vintages demonstrate why Masseto is Italy's most consistently outstanding Merlot. Neither vintage presented anything resembling ideal conditions yet the wines have turned out beautifully. The estate's 2002s show why Tenuta dell”Ornellaia is one of Italy's premier properties. Those obsessed with points will chase the higher rated 2003s and 2004s, but consumers who buy wines to drink them would do well to consider these 2002s especially given that pricing should be favorable. The 2002s are by no means the equal of the estate's top wines but they will offer useful drinking while the more important vintages reach maturity.

Agronomist Leonardo Raspini shook his head when I asked him about the 2003 vintage. "Hot? Our average daily temperature in June was 25.8�C, when normally it's closer to 21�C, and there were many nights when it never went below 30�C," he told me. Yet Ornellaia, thanks in large measure to its uniquely situated vineyards, wasn't forced to harvest quite as early as other estates. "We picked some merlot on August 23rd," Raspini said, "but mainly from the 30th to the 10th of September. We didn't touch the merlot for Masseto until the 22nd and 23rd of September, and the grapes from the central portion of the vineyard weren't harvested until the 30th, which was unheard of in the area in 2003." Masseto's vineyard is located in a specific geological formation characterized by deep clays of different origins and age, and the soil content helps to explain the wine's uniqueness. "Still, we only made half the usual number of bottles," Raspini added. "Of the four different parcels that yield the grapes for Masseto, we were only able to use those that came from the central three-hectare plot, which is always the best, year in and year out. The other three suffered too much from the heat." Both '03 and '02 are excellent performances for their respective vintages.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is without question one of Italy's blue-chip properties. The gorgeous, sprawling estate is located in Bolgheri in Tuscany's Maremma. On a recent visit I had the opportunity to taste a number of the estate's wines with General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini and Oenologist Axel Heinz, including verticals of the estate's top bottlings Ornellaia and Masseto. Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired blend consisting principally of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. In 2003 a small percentage of Petit Verdot was introduced. The use of several varietals gives the winemaking team the luxury of being able to tailor the exact proportion of the blend to the specific strengths of a given vintage. Because the blend tends to vary from year to year in a vertical tasting Ornellaia shows many different facets of its personality. After harvest the varietals are vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration lasts between 25-30 days after which the wines are moved into French oak barrels where they age for 12 months. The wines are then racked and assembled into the final blend, which spends an additional six months in barrel prior to being bottled. The percentage of new oak has risen from 50%, which was used for vintages 1997 and 1998, to 60% used in 1999, to the 70% the estate has employed since 2000. “Vintage 2002 was a different story altogether. The summer, especially August, was very rainy. It was clear pretty early on that we wouldn't be able to make the kind of wines we like most, those that express the power of Bolgheri. So we opted for a more varietal expression in the wines. In the cellar our vinifications were pretty much in line with what we do most years. We made our biggest adjustments in the aging of the wines, leaving them in oak for a shorter time than is normally the case.”

“Our last three vintages could not have been more different,” explains General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini. “For us 2004 was a terrific vintage, one that combines very high quality with quantity. It may sound hard to believe but here those two go hand in hand. The weather throughout the summer and into the fall was very stable which allowed us to pick each parcel at the optimum level of ripeness. We are happy with all of our wins, from top to bottom.” “2003 was of course a very hot vintage. Other than leaving as much leaf cover as possible there wasn't much we could do. It was an exceedingly dry summer although we did get a little rain in mid-September which helped the later-ripening Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfortunately the Merlot was too far along in its maturation for the rain to have any effect. Because we had better results with our Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in 2003 Ornellaia contains a higher percentage of those varietals. It was an even more challenging vintage for Merlot. For our Massseto we were only able to use the oldest, central part of the vineyard. That said, the vines held up well and our harvest was only a week or so earlier than normal. Relative to other vintages the polyphenol readings were lower than usual so we did slightly longer fermentations to try to extract as a much as possible from the fruit. Our overall production was down about 30%.” “Vintage 2002 was a different story altogether. The summer, especially August, was very rainy. It was clear pretty early on that we wouldn't be able to make the kind of wines we like most, those that express the power of Bolgheri. So we opted for a more varietal expression in the wines. In the cellar our vinifications were pretty much in line with what we do most years. We made our biggest adjustments in the aging of the wines, leaving the wines in oak for a shorter time than is normally the case.” In a similar vein, the 2002 and 2003 vintages demonstrate why Masseto is Italy's most consistently outstanding Merlot. Neither vintage presented anything resembling ideal conditions yet the wines have turned out beautifully. The estate's 2002s show why Tenuta dell”Ornellaia is one of Italy's premier properties. Those obsessed with points will chase the higher rated 2003s and 2004s, but consumers who buy wines to drink them would do well to consider these 2002s especially given that pricing should be favorable. The 2002s are by no means the equal of the estate's top wines but they will offer useful drinking while the more important vintages reach maturity.

Agronomist Leonardo Raspini shook his head when I asked him about the 2003 vintage. "Hot? Our average daily temperature in June was 25.8�C, when normally it's closer to 21�C, and there were many nights when it never went below 30�C," he told me. Yet Ornellaia, thanks in large measure to its uniquely situated vineyards, wasn't forced to harvest quite as early as other estates. "We picked some merlot on August 23rd," Raspini said, "but mainly from the 30th to the 10th of September. We didn't touch the merlot for Masseto until the 22nd and 23rd of September, and the grapes from the central portion of the vineyard weren't harvested until the 30th, which was unheard of in the area in 2003." Masseto's vineyard is located in a specific geological formation characterized by deep clays of different origins and age, and the soil content helps to explain the wine's uniqueness. "Still, we only made half the usual number of bottles," Raspini added. "Of the four different parcels that yield the grapes for Masseto, we were only able to use those that came from the central three-hectare plot, which is always the best, year in and year out. The other three suffered too much from the heat." Both '03 and '02 are excellent performances for their respective vintages.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is without question one of Italy's blue-chip properties. The gorgeous, sprawling estate is located in Bolgheri in Tuscany's Maremma. On a recent visit I had the opportunity to taste a number of the estate's wines with General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini and Oenologist Axel Heinz, including verticals of the estate's top bottlings Ornellaia and Masseto. Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired blend consisting principally of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. In 2003 a small percentage of Petit Verdot was introduced. The use of several varietals gives the winemaking team the luxury of being able to tailor the exact proportion of the blend to the specific strengths of a given vintage. Because the blend tends to vary from year to year in a vertical tasting Ornellaia shows many different facets of its personality. After harvest the varietals are vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration lasts between 25-30 days after which the wines are moved into French oak barrels where they age for 12 months. The wines are then racked and assembled into the final blend, which spends an additional six months in barrel prior to being bottled. The percentage of new oak has risen from 50%, which was used for vintages 1997 and 1998, to 60% used in 1999, to the 70% the estate has employed since 2000. “In 2001 we suffered damage from an early April frost which reduced our production by 10-15% right off the bat. Since the damage was quite random, our work in the vineyards centered around trying to restore balance within each plant, rather than do the more universal green-harvesting that was required in a naturally abundant vintage like 2004. What makes the 2001s special is that the plants concentrated all of their energy on the remaining fruit from the very beginning of the growing season, as opposed to 2004 in which we had to reduce the load on the plants several times.”

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is without question one of Italy's blue-chip properties. The gorgeous, sprawling estate is located in Bolgheri in Tuscany's Maremma. On a recent visit I had the opportunity to taste a number of the estate's wines with General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini and Oenologist Axel Heinz, including verticals of the estate's top bottlings Ornellaia and Masseto. Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired blend consisting principally of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. In 2003 a small percentage of Petit Verdot was introduced. The use of several varietals gives the winemaking team the luxury of being able to tailor the exact proportion of the blend to the specific strengths of a given vintage. Because the blend tends to vary from year to year in a vertical tasting Ornellaia shows many different facets of its personality. After harvest the varietals are vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration lasts between 25-30 days after which the wines are moved into French oak barrels where they age for 12 months. The wines are then racked and assembled into the final blend, which spends an additional six months in barrel prior to being bottled. The percentage of new oak has risen from 50%, which was used for vintages 1997 and 1998, to 60% used in 1999, to the 70% the estate has employed since 2000. “In 2000 we experienced an accelerated maturation of sugars due to a spell of heat from mid-August to mid-September. We were forced to pick somewhat earlier than we would have liked, and we ended up with slightly dried out fruit and seeds that had not reached full phenolic ripeness. This was especially evident in the Merlot, while the Cabernet Sauvignon was more resistant to the heat owing to the firmer texture of the stems."

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

This estate, now a joint effort of Mondavi and Frescobaldi, owns vineyards extending over a variety of soils and terrains at two quite distinct sites. In order to preserve the character of individual plots, the wine is kept in over 40 separate cuvees prior to blending. Some of the vats formerly destined for Ornellaia have, since 1997, been used to make Le Serre Nuove. The decision to introduce this second label from wine that doesn't quite make the first cut was, according to Leonardo Raspini, general manager of the estate, "an enormous step in enhancing the quality of Ornellaia." This front-rank property has discontinued the production of its only white wine, the sauvignon blanc Poggio alle Gazze, in order to replant with merlot and cabernet franc, and is now focused on producing solely Bordeaux-style blends. There is no question that at the beginning of the new millennium the wines of this property are better than ever.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is without question one of Italy's blue-chip properties. The gorgeous, sprawling estate is located in Bolgheri in Tuscany's Maremma. On a recent visit I had the opportunity to taste a number of the estate's wines with General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini and Oenologist Axel Heinz, including verticals of the estate's top bottlings Ornellaia and Masseto. Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired blend consisting principally of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. In 2003 a small percentage of Petit Verdot was introduced. The use of several varietals gives the winemaking team the luxury of being able to tailor the exact proportion of the blend to the specific strengths of a given vintage. Because the blend tends to vary from year to year in a vertical tasting Ornellaia shows many different facets of its personality. After harvest the varietals are vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration lasts between 25-30 days after which the wines are moved into French oak barrels where they age for 12 months. The wines are then racked and assembled into the final blend, which spends an additional six months in barrel prior to being bottled. The percentage of new oak has risen from 50%, which was used for vintages 1997 and 1998, to 60% used in 1999, to the 70% the estate has employed since 2000. "Conditions during 1999 were close to perfect. We had a hot summer, but calm weather during the harvest, which gave us the luxury of harvesting under tranquil conditions. Because the fruit had so much potential in the cellar we wanted to extract as much as possible during the vinifications and we may have taken the maceration times a bit too far. As a result, the wines have been very slow to mature and are just now starting to show their true potential.”

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

This estate, now a joint effort of Mondavi and Frescobaldi, owns vineyards extending over a variety of soils and terrains at two quite distinct sites. In order to preserve the character of individual plots, the wine is kept in over 40 separate cuvees prior to blending. Some of the vats formerly destined for Ornellaia have, since 1997, been used to make Le Serre Nuove. The decision to introduce this second label from wine that doesn't quite make the first cut was, according to Leonardo Raspini, general manager of the estate, "an enormous step in enhancing the quality of Ornellaia." This front-rank property has discontinued the production of its only white wine, the sauvignon blanc Poggio alle Gazze, in order to replant with merlot and cabernet franc, and is now focused on producing solely Bordeaux-style blends. There is no question that at the beginning of the new millennium the wines of this property are better than ever.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is without question one of Italy's blue-chip properties. The gorgeous, sprawling estate is located in Bolgheri in Tuscany's Maremma. On a recent visit I had the opportunity to taste a number of the estate's wines with General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini and Oenologist Axel Heinz, including verticals of the estate's top bottlings Ornellaia and Masseto. Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired blend consisting principally of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. In 2003 a small percentage of Petit Verdot was introduced. The use of several varietals gives the winemaking team the luxury of being able to tailor the exact proportion of the blend to the specific strengths of a given vintage. Because the blend tends to vary from year to year in a vertical tasting Ornellaia shows many different facets of its personality. After harvest the varietals are vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration lasts between 25-30 days after which the wines are moved into French oak barrels where they age for 12 months. The wines are then racked and assembled into the final blend, which spends an additional six months in barrel prior to being bottled. The percentage of new oak has risen from 50%, which was used for vintages 1997 and 1998, to 60% used in 1999, to the 70% the estate has employed since 2000. “When it comes to the 1998s I think you taste the heat of the vintage, but that characteristic is tempered by the cool breezes from the sea, which were especially prevalent that year. At the time we didn't have the sorting table we have today so the selection process was less rigid. Some of the stems were a little green and that comes through in the lean personalities on the wines as well as the slightly vegetal note the wines show on the finish."

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is without question one of Italy's blue-chip properties. The gorgeous, sprawling estate is located in Bolgheri in Tuscany's Maremma. On a recent visit I had the opportunity to taste a number of the estate's wines with General Manager/Agronomist Leonardo Raspini and Oenologist Axel Heinz, including verticals of the estate's top bottlings Ornellaia and Masseto. Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired blend consisting principally of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. In 2003 a small percentage of Petit Verdot was introduced. The use of several varietals gives the winemaking team the luxury of being able to tailor the exact proportion of the blend to the specific strengths of a given vintage. Because the blend tends to vary from year to year in a vertical tasting Ornellaia shows many different facets of its personality. After harvest the varietals are vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration lasts between 25-30 days after which the wines are moved into French oak barrels where they age for 12 months. The wines are then racked and assembled into the final blend, which spends an additional six months in barrel prior to being bottled. The percentage of new oak has risen from 50%, which was used for vintages 1997 and 1998, to 60% used in 1999, to the 70% the estate has employed since 2000. “1997 was another year that started with a spring frost that reduced production at the outset. Even though it was a hot vintage, the wines have retained a fair amount of freshness and it is mostly on the finish where the warmth of the vintage is felt.”

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

Lodovico Antinori's estate has had an admirable record of consistency in the 1990s: if none of the wines were mind-blowing, all were good, professional products, and even difficult vintages such as 1992 and 1994 gave dignified, well-made wines. Quality definitely seems on the rise, and the 1997, 1998, and 1999 vintages promise to end the decade with a flourish. One key to success has been the professional counseling of Michel Rolland for the winemaking aspects and Andrea Paoletti, perhaps Italy's outstanding agronomist, for the vineyards.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

Lodovico Antinori's estate has had an admirable record of consistency in the 1990s: if none of the wines were mind-blowing, all were good, professional products, and even difficult vintages such as 1992 and 1994 gave dignified, well-made wines. Quality definitely seems on the rise, and the 1997, 1998, and 1999 vintages promise to end the decade with a flourish. One key to success has been the professional counseling of Michel Rolland for the winemaking aspects and Andrea Paoletti, perhaps Italy's outstanding agronomist, for the vineyards.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is the brainchild of Lodovico Antinori, who founded this gorgeous, sprawling estate in Tuscany’s Maremma in 1981. Vines were planted in 1982 and the first vintages were overseen by the legendary oenologist and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff. Today Ornellaia is owned by the Frescobaldi family, but like all of the Frescobaldi properties, it is run independently. The estate produces a wide range of wines, from the entry-level Le Volte to the super-premium Merlot Masseto. To me, though, it is the Cabernet Sauvignon-based Ornellaia which truly captures the essence of these unique vineyards and microclimates. Early vintages of Ornellaia were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, typically 75-80%, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc playing supporting roles. Beginning in 1996 the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was reduced and Merlot took on a more prominent role, reaching the 30% or so that is customary today. In 2003 Petit Verdot was introduced as the fourth variety in the blend. Of course, the final blend each year is a result of vintage conditions. Other significant stylistic changes include increased selection in the vineyards and cellar with the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 1997, which subsequently led to a more concentrated style in Ornellaia. Over the years the estate increased its use of new French oak barrels from roughly 40% in the first vintages to the 70% or so that is the norm these days. Fermentation and maceration times have also moved up from the 15-20 days that was typical early on to roughly 25-30 days that is common in recent vintages. Great attention is given to viticulture and winemaking. Each of the varieties and parcels is harvested, vinified and aged separately, a process that can include as many as 60 or so separate component wines. Fermentation takes place partly in wood and partly in steel, while the malolactic fermentation is finished in French oak barrels. The wines are aged separately for roughly twelve months. The final blend is assembled and the wines are racked back into oak for a further six months. Generally Ornellaia is neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled, although in some vintages the estate performs a light fining.

The Tenuta dell'Ornellaia estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, whose objective was to create a world-class Bordeaux blend from a family property inherited from his mother in the Bolgheri section of the Tuscan Coast, close to Tenuta San Guido, where Sassicaia is made. More recently, Robert Mondavi purchased a stake in Ornellaia in 1999 and took over full ownership the following year. Mondavi then invited Frescobaldi, their partner in Tuscany on the Luce venture since the mid-'90s, to become a partner at Ornellaia, and Frescobaldi is now a 50% owner. Mondavi installed Thomas Duroux, a native of Bordeaux, as winemaker of Ornellaia in 2001. It was Duroux who showed me a spectacular series of Ornellaia vintages this winter in New York.x000D I had expected to see a representation of the estate's top vintages, but Duroux brought every wine back to the first commercial release of Ornellaia, the '85 (there was also a small quantity of wine made in 1984), including the lighter years. In even the poorest vintages, Ornellaia managed to produce respectable and distinctive wine, proof that this is truly a special site, one that is able to ripen its fruit virtually every year. These are wonderfully floral, elegant wines that are typically characterized by fine-grained cabernet sauvignon tannins. Recent vintages have brought more density and a stronger impression of extract—as well as greater ripeness and higher alcohol—without sacrificing aromatic complexity or balance. (Yet more evidence of the quality of this site: in addition to producing a cabernet/merlot blend that's widely considered one of the two or three greatest made in Italy, Ornellaia has offered the very expensive all-merlot wine Masseto since 1986. Although I have tasted only six vintages of Masseto to date, I am tempted to call this wine the finest merlot made anywhere in the world outside the Pomerol plateau.)x000D The Ornellaia vineyards, like so many favored grape-growing sites around the world, benefit from highly complex soils. In this case, there are three distinct influences: marine (limestone and sand deposits left behind by the receding sea), alluvial (mineral-rich sandy and loamy clays brought down from the Appennines, Italy's mountainous backbone) and volcanic (coarse, minerally metamorphic rock from the mountains above Bolgheri itself). Ornellaia enjoys a Mediterranean climate, warmer than that of Bordeaux. "We must accept having more alcohol in our wines if we want to get ripe enough tannins," Duroux told me. Still, he added, the village of Bolgheri is cooler than most other areas of Tuscany, thanks to its proximity to the sea and elevation just over 100 meters above sea level.x000D Ornellaia is typically about 65% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. The first real block of cabernet franc vines wasn't planted here until 1992, but some cabernet franc grapes found their way into the blends in the earlier vintages, according to Duroux. The estate now has 90 hectares under vine, and in 2001 produced about 150,000 bottles of Ornellaia.x000D In recent years, yields have been reduced to about 35 hectoliters per hectare, compared to 40+ in the late '80s and early '90s. Today's wines are higher in alcohol than previously. At the beginning, notes Duroux, the wines were typically between 13% and 13.5%, whereas today they are more like 14% to 14.5%. The estate now does its malolactic fermentations in barriques (Ornellaia buys French barrels from nine suppliers), and keeps its various lots separate for the first 12 months. In a typical year, Ornellaia gets between 60% and 80% new oak, up significantly from the late '80s, when the percentage of new oak was less than one-third. x000D The quality of Ornellaia has been further elevated by the introduction of a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, beginning in 1 997. This wine includes the estate's young vines as well as lots that are ...