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Average Review Score: 4.9
Average Review Score: 4.9
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Tuscany 2018
Bottles Available:
12 × 75cl from 13th Oct We keep some stock in our London Warehouse. Large volumes take 24 hours from our out of London warehouse.
- Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Tuscany 2018
- Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia History
- Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia Current & Past Cellar Masters
Ornellaia was founded in 1981 by Lodovico Antinori and is now one of Italy’s most respected wineries. Based in the Tuscan foothills of Bolgheri, it neighbours both Sassicaia (the first ‘Super-Tuscan’ estate to start producing a Bordeaux blend in Italy) and Masseto (Italy’s top Merlot, which until 2019 was produced at Ornellaia).
Being one of the early settlers in the region, Ornellaia are one of the few producers to actually own vineyards in the foothills. Bolgheri is a unique place – it’s close proximity to the ocean means less cloud and a higher level of reflected light from the sea, magnifying the solar intensity. The coastal flatlands also experience much higher winds, which creates a fluctuation between hot days and cool nights, locking in the grapes’ acidity, while giving the fruit great concentration and ripeness.
At Ornellaia, every plot is individually assessed, picked and matured in oak for 12 months before the final blending takes place. Within one vineyard alone the four varieties, eight different rootstocks and multiple geological fault-lines provide a complex palette of expressions to choose from. The estate now produces seven wines in total. It’s top wine – the eponymously titled Ornellaia – is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. 2018 is the first vintage where Merlot dominates the blend at 51%.
Vinification & Ageing: The clusters were hand-picked into 15 kg crates 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 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% once used. The wine then remained in barriques, in Ornellaia’s temperature-controlled cellars for about 18months. 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.
Weather in 2018: The 2018 vintage began with a return to normal winter conditions, followed by an exceptionally wet spring with high rainfall and warm temperatures that accelerated vine growth despite late budbreak. Summer brought more stable weather, with a warm, dry July and a hot but slightly wetter August, allowing for slow, even ripening and larger berries due to high soil moisture. A warm, dry September with cool nights ensured good freshness and aromatics, and harvest took place from late August to early October.
Technical Information:
Grape Varieties: 51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc & 2% Petit Verdot
Region: Tuscany
Sub Region: Bolgheri
Classification: DOC Bolgheri Superiore
Winemaker: Olga Fusari
Alcohol: 14.5 %
Tasting Note: Medium in body, with terrific persistence and impeccable balance, the 2018 is not in any mood to show all its cards today. Hints of red berry fruit, mocha, spice, licorice and dried flowers emerge with a bit of coaxing. I won’t be surprised to see it put on weight with more time in bottle. There is certainly plenty to look forward to. - Tasted by Antonio Galloni in 2021
Being one of the early settlers in the region, Ornellaia are one of the few producers to actually own vineyards in the foothills. Bolgheri is a unique place – it’s close proximity to the ocean means less cloud and a higher level of reflected light from the sea, magnifying the solar intensity. The coastal flatlands also experience much higher winds, which creates a fluctuation between hot days and cool nights, locking in the grapes’ acidity, while giving the fruit great concentration and ripeness.
At Ornellaia, every plot is individually assessed, picked and matured in oak for 12 months before the final blending takes place. Within one vineyard alone the four varieties, eight different rootstocks and multiple geological fault-lines provide a complex palette of expressions to choose from. The estate now produces seven wines in total. It’s top wine – the eponymously titled Ornellaia – is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. 2018 is the first vintage where Merlot dominates the blend at 51%.
Vinification & Ageing: The clusters were hand-picked into 15 kg crates 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 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% once used. The wine then remained in barriques, in Ornellaia’s temperature-controlled cellars for about 18months. 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.
Weather in 2018: The 2018 vintage began with a return to normal winter conditions, followed by an exceptionally wet spring with high rainfall and warm temperatures that accelerated vine growth despite late budbreak. Summer brought more stable weather, with a warm, dry July and a hot but slightly wetter August, allowing for slow, even ripening and larger berries due to high soil moisture. A warm, dry September with cool nights ensured good freshness and aromatics, and harvest took place from late August to early October.
Technical Information:
Grape Varieties: 51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc & 2% Petit Verdot
Region: Tuscany
Sub Region: Bolgheri
Classification: DOC Bolgheri Superiore
Winemaker: Olga Fusari
Alcohol: 14.5 %
Tasting Note: Medium in body, with terrific persistence and impeccable balance, the 2018 is not in any mood to show all its cards today. Hints of red berry fruit, mocha, spice, licorice and dried flowers emerge with a bit of coaxing. I won’t be surprised to see it put on weight with more time in bottle. There is certainly plenty to look forward to. - Tasted by Antonio Galloni in 2021
Ornellaia was founded in 1981 by Lodovico Antinori and is now one of Italy’s most respected wineries. Based in the Tuscan foothills of Bolgheri, it neighbours both Sassicaia (the first ‘Super-Tuscan’ estate to start producing a Bordeaux blend in Italy) and Masseto (Italy’s top Merlot, which until 2019 was produced at Ornellaia).
Being one of the early settlers in the region, Ornellaia are one of the few producers to actually own vineyards in the foothills. Bolgheri is a unique place – it’s close proximity to the ocean means less cloud and a higher level of reflected light from the sea, magnifying the solar intensity. The coastal flatlands also experience much higher winds, which creates a fluctuation between hot days and cool nights, locking in the grapes’ acidity, while giving the fruit great concentration and ripeness.
At Ornellaia, every plot is individually assessed, picked and matured in oak for 12 months before the final blending takes place. Within one vineyard alone the four varieties, eight different rootstocks and multiple geological fault-lines provide a complex palette of expressions to choose from. The estate now produces seven wines in total. It’s top wine – the eponymously titled Ornellaia – is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Axel Heinz has been the winemaker at Ornellaia since 2005.
Being one of the early settlers in the region, Ornellaia are one of the few producers to actually own vineyards in the foothills. Bolgheri is a unique place – it’s close proximity to the ocean means less cloud and a higher level of reflected light from the sea, magnifying the solar intensity. The coastal flatlands also experience much higher winds, which creates a fluctuation between hot days and cool nights, locking in the grapes’ acidity, while giving the fruit great concentration and ripeness.
At Ornellaia, every plot is individually assessed, picked and matured in oak for 12 months before the final blending takes place. Within one vineyard alone the four varieties, eight different rootstocks and multiple geological fault-lines provide a complex palette of expressions to choose from. The estate now produces seven wines in total. It’s top wine – the eponymously titled Ornellaia – is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Axel Heinz has been the winemaker at Ornellaia since 2005.
Cellar Master: Marco Balsimelli
Winery Location: Bolgheri, Tuscany
Wine Region: Tuscany
Annual Production (bottles): 150,000
Cellar Master History at Ornellaia:
Marco Balsimelli - 2023 - Current
Appointed as technical director to succeed Heinz, with a debut for the 2023 vintage.
Olga Fusari - 2016 to October 2023
Olga has been with Ornellaia since 2005 and had become head enologist at Ornellaia in 2016. She has been an integral part of Ornellaia's success. A graduate in Viticulture and Oenology from the esteemed University of Florence, Olga's passion for experimentation has sparked a fruitful collaboration between the university and the estate.
Axel Heinz - 2005 to March 2016
Joined as winemaker in 2005 and became estate director, elevating the estate's reputation with a focus on precision and terroir.
Tibor Gál - 1989 - 2005
Hungarian winemaker who significantly shaped the early style.
Winery Location: Bolgheri, Tuscany
Wine Region: Tuscany
Annual Production (bottles): 150,000
Cellar Master History at Ornellaia:
Marco Balsimelli - 2023 - Current
Appointed as technical director to succeed Heinz, with a debut for the 2023 vintage.
Olga Fusari - 2016 to October 2023
Olga has been with Ornellaia since 2005 and had become head enologist at Ornellaia in 2016. She has been an integral part of Ornellaia's success. A graduate in Viticulture and Oenology from the esteemed University of Florence, Olga's passion for experimentation has sparked a fruitful collaboration between the university and the estate.
Axel Heinz - 2005 to March 2016
Joined as winemaker in 2005 and became estate director, elevating the estate's reputation with a focus on precision and terroir.
Tibor Gál - 1989 - 2005
Hungarian winemaker who significantly shaped the early style.
97/100
“The 2018 Ornellaia is an introvert at this stage. Medium in body, with terrific persistence and impeccable balance, the 2018 is not in any mood to show all its cards today. Hints of red berry fruit, mocha, spice, licorice and dried flowers emerge with a bit of coaxing. I won’t be surprised to see it put on weight with more time in bottle. There is certainly plenty to look forward to. Readers should expect a silky, aromatic Ornellaia in line with vintages such as 2004 that are more about finesse than raw power. This is the first time in which Merlot drives the blend in Ornellaia.”
95/100
“The 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is complete and seamlessly stitched together with extreme care and precision. This is an almost technical blend of Merlot (at 50% of the blend for the first time), 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot that offers a true sense of wholeness and consistency that speaks to the blending expertise and experience of the winemaking team. Finding harmony among the various vinous components of the wine was especially important in this vintage that prized early-ripening grapes like Merlot over the others. Blackberry and dried cherry segue to spice, tar, campfire ash and more sweet fruit. We're off to a great start, and this vintage of Ornellaia is surely destined to flesh out and grow more complex with age.”
97/100
“Pure rich and seductive fruits in that generous way that Ornellaia has, with the most gorgeous smoky character. It is full of life and nuance and so moreish. Teases with its ability to give and take, structured yet soft, powerful but finessed, full of leather, vanilla bean, raspberry, red cherry, tar. All varieties are aged separately for 12 months then blended and then put back in barrel for 6 months, 70% new oak.”
97/100
“The 2018 Ornellaia is mostly Merlot but includes a solid amount of Cabernet Sauvignon and tiny amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It's a gorgeous wine that takes air to show at its best (and deserves bottle age), giving up a terrific array of red and black currants, cedar pencil, tobacco, iron, and savory herbs. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly well-balanced red that has building, ripe, polished tannins, perfectly integrated acidity, a great mid-palate, and one heck of a finish. While not a blockbuster in the exuberant, extroverted sense of the word, it has incredible intensity and depth, and this is a gem of a wine. It needs another 5-7 years to hit maturity and, I suspect, will evolve for 30-40 years.”
97/100
“So aromatic and complex with blackcurrants, blueberries, fresh violets and lavender on the nose. Some graphite and iodine, too. Medium to full body with firm, chewy tannins that are polished and refined, yet the palate is so long and refined. This is an Ornellaia with strength in elegance. Try after 2025.”
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