2015 Ornellaia

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.