Product information

Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore DOC MAGNUM 2017

Bordeaux Blend from Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

$1,135

Closure: Cork

Description

Ornellaia is undoubtedly the refined lady of the estate. 56% Cabernet Sauvignon 25% Merlot 10% Petit Verdot9% Cabernet Franc.

For a long time I was unconvinced wines made from French varieties made in Italy. One wine stands out as changing my mind, 1990 Ornellaia, thanks Lou!

Beautifully balanced and poised it was poured at an open wine night where the only criterion was that it had to be bloody good!

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Check out all of the wines by Ornellaia

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

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.

Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend, while Masseto is 100% Merlot made from a few select blocks on the large, sprawling property. In recent years, the estate has worked towards the goal of establishing Ornellaia and Masseto as two separate wineries. For that reason, Ornellaia and Masseto are very rarely shown together.

The 2017 Vintage at Ornellaia & Masseto

2017 will go down in history as being one of the hottest, driest years ever. Things were clear from the outset due to a particularly mild winter, with temperatures over three degrees higher than the seasonal average and rains within the norm. Consequently, the vines budded much sooner than usual, almost two weeks in advance. The vegetative cycle was accompanied by hot weather with very little rain from the month of March, and this was interrupted by a sudden drop in temperatures at the end of April, which caused frost in various parts of Tuscany. Thanks to the mitigating effects of the sea, temperatures remained above zero along the coast, preventing damage to the young buds. The hot, dry weather returned in May, limiting vegetative development and the size of the bunches, while flowering occurred under excellent conditions. There was virtually no rain in July and August but fortunately the hot weather was offset by cooler temperatures at night. The harvest began early, with the first Merlot on the 24th of August, continuing through until the last week of September in hot weather and under sunny skies. Rain finally put in an appearance around the middle of month, cooling things down and creating the perfect conditions for the later-ripening varieties.

Winemaking

The clusters were hand-picked into 15 kg boxes and then selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, and finally softly crushed. In 2016, optical sorting has been introduced in addition to manual selection, in order to further increase the quality of selection. Each grape variety and single vineyard block was vinified separately. Fermentation took place in stainless steel and concrete tanks at temperatures between 26-30°C for two weeks, followed by 10-15 days of maceration on the skins. The malolactic fermentation took place mainly in oak barrels, 70% new and 30% once-used. The wine then remained in barriques, in Ornellaia’s temperature- controlled cellars for about 20 months. After the first 12 months of maturation, the wine was assembled and then returned to the barriques for an additional 8 months. After bottling, the wine aged a further 12 months prior to release.

“Ornellaia 2017 masterfully interprets what was a particularly warm and sunny year. The intense and dark colour heralds a wine of beautiful concentration; the nose, rich and complex, releases scents of ripe red fruits, accompanied by notes of sweet tobacco and vanilla. The taste reveals an Ornellaia of great balance, a combination of firmness and pleasant freshness.”

Olga Fusari – Winemaker

The following series of vineyards takes you from vineyard, through winemaking during vintage, and, maturation and blending. They generally apply to both Ornellaia and Masseto.

 

Where in the World is Ornellaia & Masseto?

Ornellaia & Masseto are in the Bolgheri DOC due west of Sienna close to the coast.

97 Points

A big, rich wine for the vintage, yet poised and lively with firm, chewy tannins that give form and intensity to the wine. It shows loads of blackberry, blackcurrant and walnut flavors. Ripe yet polished tannins. Give this three or four years to come together.

James Suckling

97 Points

A stunning wine, the 2017 Ornellaia offers a captivating interplay of richness and energy. Picking early was the key. Young vine Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc were harvested in August for the first time ever. In the glass, the 2017 offers up an enticing mélange of mocha, cedar, tobacco and licorice, with soft curves that add to its sensuality and allure. The 2017 is sumptuous and racy, as Ornellaias from warmer years tend to be, but it is not at all heavy or overdone. In a word: superb!

Anotnio Galloni, Vinous

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Località Ornellaia, 191 Fraz. Bolgheri, 57022 Castagneto Carducci (LI)

Bolgheri
Tuscany
Italy