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Ornellaia 2021: 99 points

Ornellaia 2021 is a new release. This is the best vintage of Ornellaia ever made according to Vinous’ Antonio Galloni. He rates it an impressive 99 points, putting it above celebrated vintages such as 2006, and describing it as a wine which “captures all the magic of this sensational vintage on the Tuscan coast”.

2021 is a five star vintage in Bolgheri. The warm, dry summer here made for rich, concentrated grapes with high levels of extract. The team at Ornellaia made an intense powerful wine in 2021 but also one with considerable finesse. A wine renowned for its opulence, Ornellaia has seen a subtle shift to greater restraint over the last few years, as a result of lower percentage of new oak and gentler extraction techniques. This has clearly paid off with the stunning 2021.

Ornellaia has always included the four classic Bordeaux varieties. The 2021 vintage is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. As always at Ornellaia, the team picked and vinifed each vineyard parcel separately in 2021. Fermentation took place in a mixture of stainless steel and concrete vessels, followed by malolactic in barrel to give extra roundness and integration to the wine. The wine was matured in 70% new oak for 18 months, with a further 12 months’ maturation in bottle before release.

Alongside Ornellaia, we are offering Le Volte dell’Ornellaia, the third wine of the estate. Made by the same winemaking team as the grand vin, Le Volte is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot, designed for earlier drinking. This is a wine we often buy for personal consumption ourselves.

This is an outstanding set of releases from one of Italy’s most illustrious fine wine estates. Don’t miss them.