In Bond per 6x75cl
"Aldo Fiordelli, Decanter.com 99/100
Part of What makes a wine collectible?
1998 is most likely the best vintage ever for Ornellaia. Petit Verdot was not yet used in the blend. Evolved bramble fruits meld with forest floor, helichrysum and Mediterranean herb aromas. On the palate this wine dazzles with the vibrancy of the best Pomerol-like minerality, with a tight-knit structure of velvety yet lively tannins amongst the fruit, and delicate acidity pushing a slightly pyrazinic finish with long, dark notes of Marmite and cigar-box supported by some citrus notes. Drink 2019 to 2030, Tasted Feb 2019
Jancis Robinson MW 18/20
Dark crimson and healthy glow. Aromatic, almost Cabernet Franc-like aromas. Very fresh rather than big and warm. Still lively, fine tannins. Pretty wine for food. Sept 2019
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Good vintage for Bolgheri compared with inland Tuscany which needed a warm autumn. Made by Andrea Giovanini who made the wine immediately before Thomas Duroux arrived in 2001. Hand-harvesting of the Merlot started the first week of September and continued until mid September, followed by the Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc which was completed by the beginning of October. Destemmed and crushed before fermentation in wood and stainless-steel tanks at a temperature not exceeding 30 °C. Maceration continued for a period of 20–25 days after which the wine was introduced into new French oak barriques (50%) and second-use barriques (50%) where it completed its malolactic fermentation. Each grape variety and each vineyard lot was aged separately. The wine remained in barriques for a period of 18 months after which time the wine was then blended and bottled. A further refinement period of 12 months in the bottle followed, prior to release."
Ornellaia has become one of Tuscany’s most iconic wines, first released in 1985 by Lodovico Antinori, brother of Piero who created Tignanello. Estate Director Axel Heinz and wine maker Olga Fusari have pushed quality ever high in recent years and demand has never been greater.
Nestled in the foothills near Bolgheri, just a few kilometres from the Mediterranean coast and only a short distance from Sassicaia, Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired blend and one of the ultimate Super Tuscans.
