2013 Ornellaia

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.