Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore DOC MAGNUM 2019

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Ornellaia 2019 “Il Vigore”

For the 14th edition of Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista, Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg have interpreted the “Il Vigore” character of Ornellaia 2019, chosen to describe the energy of plant growth and the flourishing condition of nature that transforms itself, giving life to a landscape of energy, strength and power. As with every edition, the artists created a collection of large formats: 100 Double Magnums (3L), 10 Imperials (6L) and a single Salmanazar (9L). Djurberg and Berg also created a special label for the 750 ml format: each case of Ornellaia 2019 contains one bottle with the artists’ label.

The Artists Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg

The Swedish artists Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg have been working together since 2004. Using different media and techniques to focus on the intersection of images, sounds, animation and music, they create multisensory works with a strong emotional impact. In their imaginary, fairy-tale world, lively stop-motion animations dramatized by Hans Berg’s music are fragments of memories and dreams that unfold a carnival-like overturning of characters and reversal of roles.

Special Labels

In their interpretation of the character of Ornellaia 2019 “Il Vigore”, the artists focused their project on the theme of metamorphosis, the cyclicity of nature and its transformation, as well as on the relationship between man and earth. These concepts are expressed in a project that evolves from the design conceived for the 750 ml label to the sculptures of the large 6L and 9L formats. Using all five senses, the artists invite us to reflect on the endless creative possibilities of nature. This concept is expressed by the sense of touch in the design created for the labels of the Double Magnums (3L), with the relief created using tiny grains of earth from the Ornellaia vineyards, expressing the direct link between man and nature through tactile sensation. The Salmanazar represents the final evolution of this process, where the bottle seems to give birth to creatures and floral elements with voluptuous shapes. Lastly, the video introduces movement and sound to represent a further phase of this transformation combining art, life and nature.

About 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.

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 2019 Vintage at Ornellaia & Masseto

More than most vintages, 2019 was characterized by a highly variable climate, which alternated periods of cold and rain with long bouts of drought and heat. After a normal winter, the budding took place in the first week of April. The cold and rainy conditions throughout April and May significantly slowed down the vegetative vine growth, leading to a 10-day delay in flowering compared to the average. Very hot, rainless weather suddenly arrived in June, reaching temperature peaks of 37°C at the end of the month. The weather stayed warm and sunny throughout the summer with temperatures 2°C above average and 45 consecutive days without rain. The long dry period was interrupted by two days of rain in the last week of July, bringing the temperature back to the seasonal norm, with ideal conditions for ripening. The harvest began slowly on 5th September. As usual, the last week of September saw a lowering of temperatures which made it possible to preserve a great finesse and aromatic freshness. Sunny conditions returned after another rainy event on 21st September, which allowed us to conclude the harvest of the later ripening varieties on 4th October.

Winemaking

The clusters were hand-picked into 15 kg crates and then selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, and then 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 were vinified separately. Fermentation took place in stainless steel and concrete tanks at temperatures between 26 and 30°C for one week, followed by maceration for about 15 days, for a total time in the vat of about three weeks. The malolactic fermentation took place mainly in oak barrels, 70% new and 30% used once. The wine then remained in barriques, in Ornellaia’s temperature-controlled cellars for about 18 months. After the first 12 months of maturation, the wine was assembled and then returned to the barriques for an additional 6 months. After bottling, the wine aged a further 12 months prior to release.

“With an intense ruby-red colour, Ornellaia 2019 has a bouquet full of intriguing spicy and balsamic notes, including aromas of black pepper, sage and aromatic herbs. The wine is both full-bodied and vibrant in the mouth, filling the palate with its dense and elegant tannic texture and ending with a persistent and beautifully crisp finish.”

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.