| “Tasted as a preview sample, the 2014 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia shows a level of sophistication and generosity that, frankly speaking, I did not expect from this vintage. This wine far exceeds my expectations and merits special attention. This vintage of Ornellaia offers unique assets that you don't often see in past editions. There's a level of sharpness and
brightness that is linked to the wine's balanced acidity and its overall prominence. That freshness is more immediate against the streamlined nature of the background fruit and overall extraction. Rather than presenting itself as a horizontal wine (with so much complexity that hits you at once), this vintage reveals a delicately vertical approach in which each unique perfume is presented in slow succession. The good news is that the wine will definitely flesh out before its commercial release next spring.”
–Monica Larner, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, October 2016
FROM ORNELLAIA
The desire to nurture the Estate’s exceptional qualities has shaped Ornellaia’s philosophy since the beginning. Ornellaia is a cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot and the faithful expression of unique terroir developed in harmony with nature.
Blend: 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 20% Petit Verdot
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: “2014 was one of the most demanding years in memory of, and has allowed us to produce high quality wines that are offering great delight. The late ripening of the grapes allowed the fruit to fully express its liveliness and freshness. What is particularly striking is the high quality of the tannins on the palate: silky, refined, without rough edges. This year represents the heart of the estate, Ornellaia’s ‘Essence’: its natural style, the exceptional quality of its terroir, and the competence of those who work in the vineyards and the cellar.” –Axel Heinz, May 2015
The 2014 Growing Season: A warm and wet winter was followed by a mild and dry spring which allowed a normal vegetative growth with a punctual and regular flowering. The weather in July was perfect, August however was rainy and cold, creating very difficult conditions for ripening, and greatly increasing the risk of diseases. The meticulous work in the vineyard, with leaf stripping and treatments during the entire month of August enabled us to maintain the good health of our vines, allowing them to develop free of disease during September and October. These two months of perfect conditions, with mostly sunny and dry weather, gave us excellent conditions for ripening. During the harvest, it was crucial to carefully select the
grape bunches, both in the vineyard – where in some plots we had done up to three harvest passages – and on the selection table, so to fill the tanks only with perfectly healthy and fully ripe grape. 2014 was one of the longest and most delayed harvest at Ornellaia, with the first Merlot harvested the 6th of September, and a large part of the historical vineyards – including some Merlot – harvested in October. The 2014 harvest, that ended on the 22nd of October, was the latest ever.
Vinification and Aging: The clusters were hand-picked into 15-kg boxes and then selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, and finally
softly crushed. Each grape variety and single vineyard block was vinified separately. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at temperatures between 26-30°C for two week, followed by 10-15 days of maceration on the skins. The 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.
THE WINE ADVOCATE’S MONICA LARNER ON THE 2014 VINTAGE
The 2014 vintage delivers many unexpected surprises. Knowing the challenges and difficulties of the growing season, which was heavily marked by rains and cold temperatures, I expected to be disappointed by the wines. I can’t say that I was. In fact, the slightly thinner textures, lower alcohol readings and more acidic styles that characterize the vintage made for a nice change of pace in a category known for thick extracts and black fruit flavors. If you are fearful of green or herbaceous overtones, you will not find them in 2014. Hard work and extreme fruit selection has paid off. Vintners were faced with mold disease and many were forced to discard important volumes. Yields and bottle production numbers are decreased. I would not recommend 2014 for long cellar aging. Instead, this vintage offers a nice collection of immediate, fresh and easy-drinking red wines from Coastal Tuscany.
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