Ornellaia is born from the encounter between nature and thought. Ancient and complex soils dialogue through the wisdom of man with a delicate microclimate that finds an echo and mirror in the Mediterranean Sea. A long refinement accompanies the great wine of the estate to its maximum expression, revealing over time its finesse, breadth and generosity.
WINEMAKER'S TASTING NOTES
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot Alc.: 14.5% vol.
“With its usual intense ruby ??red color, Ornellaia 2020 is characterized on the nose by aromas of ripe red fruits and delicate notes of vanilla and sweet tobacco. On tasting, the wine is soft and velvety, with a pleasant and enveloping entry into the mouth, which invites a second sip. The tannic texture is dense and at the same time elegant and the finish is revealed to be
savoury and of beautiful persistence.”
Olga Fusari - Winemaker - July 2022
THE CLIMATE OF 2020
After a mild and rainy winter, March saw a temporary drop in temperatures with a few
nights below 0°C right at the beginning of budding in the last week of the month. The newly bloomed shoots
were, however, still protected by the cottony tissue of the bud, which made it possible to avoid damage from frost.
The rest of the spring saw generally warm weather with normal rainfall, ensuring regular
vegetative development until flowering which occurred between 20 and 25 May. In June, a very intense rainy period
towards the middle of the month was followed by a very long period of drought with a substantial
absence of rain and scorching temperatures until the end of August. Veraison took place homogeneously and quickly
between 20 and 25 July, starting the ripening of the grapes under a burning sun. At the end of August, rains arrived
that led to a significant drop in temperatures, with nighttime lows of
up to 13°C, ideal conditions for completing the ripening of the Merlot. They were harvested early and quickly,
in just two weeks, to preserve freshness and fruitiness to the maximum, just in time to avoid a sudden
week-long heat wave where the thermometer reached up to 37°C, causing the
sugar levels to soar for all the varieties still to be harvested, leading us to start harvesting the Cabernet Franc and
Cabernet Sauvignon from the young vineyards as early as September 17th.
Towards the end of September, a rainy period finally brought the climatic conditions back to normal, the water
absorbed by the bunches lowered the alcohol levels to normal values, allowing us to
conclude the harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot on October 3rd.
VINIFICATION AND AGEING
The grapes were harvested by hand in 15 kg crates and the bunches were selected on a double sorting table
before and after destemming and finally subjected to a soft pressing. In 2016, in addition to manual
selection, optical selection was introduced to further increase the quality of the
selection. Each variety and each parcel was vinified separately. The alcoholic fermentation took place partly in stainless steel vats and partly in
concrete vats at temperatures between 26 and 30°C for a week, followed by maceration for
about 15 days, for a total stay in the tank of about three weeks. The malolactic fermentation took place
mainly in oak barriques (70% new and 30% second passage). The wine remained in barriques in the
Ornellaia cellar at a controlled temperature for a period of about 18 months. After the first 12 months, the blending was carried out, then reintroduced into the barriques, where it spent another 6 months. The wine remains in the bottle for 12 months before being introduced to the market.