ORNELLAIA 2018

Ornellaia 2018
Bolgheri DOC Superiore Rosso

“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.” – 96/100, Wine Spectator

VARIETIES: 51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
REGION: Italy / Central Italy / Toscana / Bolgheri / Bolgheri Superiore
AGEING: 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 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
GUARDING POTENTIAL: Try from 2025 or will cellar well up to 30 years
SERVE: Serve at 16 – 18ºC
FITS TO: Pair well with Grigliata Mista di Carne, Stracotto alla Fiorentina, Classico Cibrèo alla Fiorentina or regional cheeses such as Pecorino Toscano Stagionato DOP, Cacio Marzolino, Caprino Toscano
CRITICS SCORES: JS/97, D/97, JD/97, WS/95, RP/95
VIVINO: Average 4.6 ★★★★✰

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2018 | Vintage | Ornellaia

Ornellaia is a blend of nature and musing. Complex ancient soils converse through human wisdom with a delicate microclimate that is echoed and reflected in the Mediterranean Sea. Prolonged ageing accompanies the estate’s fine wine in achieving its utmost expression, revealing finesse and generosity over time.

After several years in which winter seemed to be little more than a memory, 2018 brought a return to normal climatic conditions, with temperatures spending enough time below zero for the vines to begin their well-deserved winter rest. The spring will be remembered as one of the wettest in history, with three times the seasonal average rainfall and high temperatures in April. Despite late budbreak, the weather conditions and rapid growth of the shoots enabled the vines to catch up and bloom a week earlier than anticipated. For the entire month of May and – to a lesser extent – June, rainfall remained above average and it was only in July that we received some respite, with a warm and dry month. Veraison took place between the 22nd and 25th of July, and August was as hot as it had been the previous year, but slightly wetter. The sugars and acidity developed slowly, while the berries grew to larger dimensions thanks to the high level of water present in the soil. September was warm and dry. Temperatures were higher than the seasonal average, but cooler nights enabled the vines to recover and preserve the aromas and acidity. The red grape harvest began on the 31st of August with the Merlot and ended on the 8th of October with the later-ripening varieties.

“The hallmark of the vintage is a lively and intense aromatic expression. Enveloping and well-proportioned in all its parts, Ornellaia 2018 is embellished by savouriness that enhances the feeling of freshness.”  Olga Fusari – Winemaker – July 2020