Tenuta dell'Ornellaia : Ornellaia 2022

Characteristics and tasting advice for Ornellaia 2022 from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

Tasting

Nose
Ornellaia 2022 seduces with its intense bouquet of ripe black fruits, subtly enhanced by hints of vanilla and tobacco.

Palate
This aromatic richness is fully expressed on the palate, where the wine unfolds a generous and ample matter. Carried by a solid tannic structure, it stretches towards a tasty and persistent finish. Despite the long periods of heat that marked the 2022 vintage, Ornellaia once again signs a wine of great elegance and remarkable freshness.

The elegance and structure of a great Tuscan wine

The property

With a reputation that has left the Italian Mediterranean coast to make a place on the international scene, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia establishes itself as one of the greatest names in Italy. Founded in 1981, this jewel in the heart of Tuscany is now in the hands of the Frescobaldi family who has given it its nobility. In just a few decades, the exceptional know-how of the house, supported by consulting oenologist Michel Rolland and oenologist Axel Heinz, has established the reputation of the estate around the world while reinterpreting the finesse of Italian wines in the light of a great terroir.

The vineyard

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia watches over a vineyard that, due to its diversity of exposures, benefits from both a refreshing sea breeze and natural protection against cold winds in winter. Located not far from the hills of Bolgheri, this terroir owes its uniqueness to its mosaic of clay-sandy soils of marine, alluvial and volcanic origin. It is within these preserved landscapes that the grape varieties entering the blend of these great Bolgheri Superiore wines develop a pure and refined expression.

The wine 

Ornellaia 2022 embodies a new exceptional collaboration with Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou, as part of the 17th edition of the Vendemmia d’Artista. This vintage pays tribute to "Determination", a strong theme evoking courage and the ability to overcome trials. Through his work, the artist offers a personal interpretation of this concept, exploring the intimate and essential relationship that unites man with nature.

The vintage

The 2022 vintage in Bolgheri experienced a cool and dry winter and spring, delaying bud break. A 75-day drought then caused significant water stress, affecting growth, flowering and veraison, and reducing yields. Summer rains restarted the maturation of the grapes, which benefited in September from ideal cool nights for developing sugars, aromas and tannins. The harvest, carried out under optimal conditions, allowed for a perfectly controlled parcel harvest.

Vinification and aging

The bunches, manually harvested in 15 kg crates, were carefully sorted, manually and then optically. Each grape variety and plot was vinified separately in stainless steel and concrete tanks, with fermentation between 26 and 30 °C, followed by 15 days of maceration. The malolactic fermentation was mainly done in barrels (70% new). The aging lasted 18 months in barrels, with blending after 12 months, followed by an additional 6 months, then a 12-month bottle aging before marketing.

Blend

Cabernet sauvignon (55%)
Merlot (25%)
Cabernet franc (10%)
Petit verdot (10%)