Bolgheri is the only Tuscan Appellation located on the coastline, and home of the ‘Super-Tuscans’. Its Terroir is perfectly suited to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (unlike most of Tuscany, planting Sangiovese). The Bolgheri DOC appellation was founded in 1994 and its wines have gained famed and recognition ever since.

Sensing the incredible potential of this region, Ornellaia was founded in 1981 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori. The property is adjacent to Tenuta San Guido, producer of Sassicaia, which is considered the original “Super Tuscan”. Robert Mondavi took a minority interest in the estate in November 1999, and were full owners by 2002, while initiating a partnership with the Frescobaldi family. In April 2005, Frescobaldi bought the remaining half of the shares of Ornellaia, coming to own the whole estate. Axel Heinz is the current winemaker with renowned Bordeaux Consultant Oenologist Michel Rolland, involved with the estate since its beginning.

The desire to nurture the estate’s exceptional qualities has shaped Ornellaia’s philosophy since the beginning. Ornellaia is a cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot and the faithful expression of unique terroir developed in harmony with nature.

Vendemmia d’Artista celebrates the exclusive character of each Ornellaia vintage: Since the release of Ornellaia 2006, an internationally famous contemporary artist has created a work of art for the estate and a series of limited-edition labels, inspired by the character identified by the winemaker to describe the particular features of the new vintage. Sold and auctioned off to be delivered to the cellars of the lucky collectors and, from 2019, the proceeds are donated to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in support of an innovative project called “Mind’s Eye”.
Since 2012, the Vendemmia d’Artista project has been extended to each case of Ornellaia (containing six 750 ml bottles) in which one bottle out of six has a special label designed by the artist. These unique labels will be reserved for purchases of full cases and not available by the unit. In addition to creating a site-specific work, they styled a series of large-format bottles with their art. Furthermore, for the Bordeaux bottle, the artists designed a limited-edition label alongside the traditional label. One limited edition artistic label can be found in every case containing six 750ml bottles of Ornellaia.

BLEND: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot

VINIFICATION AND 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 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 its usual deep ruby red colour, Ornellaia 2020 stands out on the nose with ripe red fruits and delicate vanilla and gentle tobacco notes. Upon tasting, the wine reveals itself to be rounded and velvety, making an enjoyable and engaging first impression that entices for a second sip. The tannins are dense yet elegant and the finish proves to be savory and enduring.
Olga Fusari – Winemaker

James Suckling – 98 points

Alluring aromas of lead pencil and currants with crushed stone and iodine. Full-bodied with hemmed in tannins that are tight and focused. Very fresh and energetic with wonderful length and intensity for this vintage. Needs four or five years to come together. Better in 2028 and onwards.

Wine Advocate – 97 points

Tasted from barrel, the 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia will be presented in the fall but won’t hit the market until spring of the following year. This is a beauty, so generous and opulent with fully seamless transitions. The wine’s traditional blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with tiny percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, although this warm vintage makes do with a pinch less of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit is selected across 107 hectares of Ornellaia vines, although the estate recently purchased an additional eight hectares next to Guado al Tasso in Castagneto Carducci, with terraces and vines aged between 15 and 28 years old. This broad and generous expression has a beautiful quality of fruit and oak that speaks to the very best of Italian winemaking.

Jeb Dunnuck – 96 points

The 2020 Ornellaia is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised in 70% new French oak for 18 months, with another 12 months in bottle prior to release. Flush with herbs and menthol, blackberry, and cedar, it is full bodied and fills the sides of the mouth with rounded fruit of luxurious plum, black cherry, and toast, with supple and velvety tannins. Drink 2026-2046.

Wine Enthusiast – 96 points

Inviting aromas of blackberry, black currant, anise, cedar, vanilla and tobacco draw you in to this red, which is sleek and open on the palate. This is so well-balanced, it’s approachable now, yet there’s a bit of reserve too. The fruit flavors are prominent on the finish, along with mineral and spice notes, while the lasting impression is a salty, flinty element. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Decanter – 96 points

Estate director Axel Heinz called 2020 ‘a classic Ornellaia,’ and picked the theme of ‘La Proporzione‘ (proportion) to describe its character. Indeed, the blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot marks a return to a more typical blend following the pendulum swings of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon in 2019, and 51% Merlot in 2018. Fine-grained and beautifully textured, its finely integrated tannins support a concentration of black fruits lightened by red berries. Aromas of black cherry, liquorice, dark chocolate, cedar and damp earth make for a fragrant wine, accompanied by menthol and balsamic streaks which run through the wine and impart plenty of freshness. It finishes with a stony and salty element along with some chocolatey and woody hints. Tight and moreish, its ripeness of fruit combined with freshness and structure adeptly tells the story of this earlier-ripening vintage. It lacks complexity in the mouth – this will come with time – but the array of aromas gives a hint of what is to come.