Name: Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore Rosso 2023
SKU: 17204
Availability: InStock

Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore Rosso 2023

$399.99

The Ornellaia 2023 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot, and it is worth noting that Merlot remains present at nearly the same percentage as previous years, despite the greater challenges faced by early-ripening varieties in this mildew-prone vintage. Careful fruit selection made the difference. The wine shows impressive richness and concentration with a bouquet that leans botanical and complex, marked by dark fruit, Mediterranean thyme and rosemary. The nose was slightly closed when I tasted the wine, but it will open. The texture is velvety and polished, delivering beautiful richness with a sense of succulence that feels expansive on the palate. According to proprietor Lamberto Frescobaldi, the goal is to establish a clear through line focused on freshness and balancing fruit and spice while avoiding excess ripeness. This is a meticulously made Ornellaia that captures the vintage with remarkable elegance. The wine was bottled in July 2025 and is scheduled for release in March 2026. Drink Date: 2027 – 2050 Monica Larner

Description

Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore Rosso

Ornellaia website – click here

Area: Tuscany/ Toscana

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot Alc. : 15 % vol.

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.

Winemaker’s notes

The wine is intensely hued, a deep, vibrant ruby red that instantly hints at its richness. The expressive nose conveys beguiling ripe blueberry and blackberry aromas, as well as other black fruits, accompanied by elegant, toasted almond and cocoa notes. Mediterranean shrub overtones emerge as the wine evolves in the glass, further accentuating a bouquet of rare complexity. Generous and mouth-filling, the palate is concentrated in addition to being surprisingly plush and delicate, underscored by a vitality that brings energy and momentum to the tasting experience. The body, while powerful, reveals softness, finesse and perfect balance. The wine has an enduring finish, sustained by silky, chiselled tannins that yield richness, flavour and a lasting persistency.

Ornellaia 2023 is the embodiment of an excellent vintage, authentically conveying the strength and harmony of a unique terroir.

The 2023 Growing Season

2023 was a challenging vintage in Bolgheri that, however, benefitted from Nature’s benevolence during key moments of the growing season. Winter was mild with relatively high temperatures and average rainfall that resulted in early plant growth. Spring brought abundant rainfall that helped fill up water reserves for the summer, but which also called for meticulous work in the vineyard. A hot summer saw high temperatures, albeit without reaching any extremes, alongside rains that helped offset water stress in the vineyards. This enabled the grapes to ripen gradually and regularly, allowing the berries to achieve high concentration. Rainfall in late August and cool September nights helped aromatic complexity development and preserved the acidity of the wine, resulting in a proper balance between power and elegance.

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, 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 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 was aged for a further 12 months prior to release.