Ornellaia 2020 Bolgheri DOC sup. 750ml

ORNELLAIA 2020 'LA P ROPORZIONE'
- BOLGHERI DOC SUPERIORE RED
Ornellaia was born from the encounter between nature and thought. Ancient and complex soils dialogue through the wisdom of man with a delicate microclimate that finds
its echo and mirror in the Mediterranean Sea. Long ageing accompanies the estate's great wine to its fullest expression, revealing over time its finesse, breadth and
generosity.

E NOLOGIST'S TASTING NOTES
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot Alc. 14.5% vol. 'With its usual intense ruby red colour, Ornellaia 2020 is characterised on the
nose by aromas of ripe red fruit and delicate notes of vanilla and sweet tobacco. On the palate the wine is soft and velvety, with a pleasant, enveloping mouthfeel that invites
a second sip. The tannic texture is dense and at the same time elegant and the finish is savoury and beautifully persistent.' - 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 start of budding in the last week of the month. The newly
budded shoots were, however, still protected by the cotton bud tissue, which prevented frost damage. The rest of spring saw generally warm weather with normal rainfall,
ensuring regular vegetative development until flowering, which took place between 20 and 25 May. In June, a passage of heavy rainfall towards the middle of the month was
followed by a very long dry period with a substantial absence of rain and torrid temperatures until the end of August. The veraison took place evenly and quickly between 20
and 25 July, starting the ripening of the grapes under a blazing sun. Rains arrived at the end of August, which led to a considerable drop in temperatures, with night-time
lows as low as 13°C, ideal conditions for completing the ripening of the Merlots. They were harvested early and quickly, in just two weeks, in order to preserve as much
freshness and fruitiness as possible, just in time to avoid a sudden week-long heat wave where the thermometer marked up to 37°C, causing sugar levels to soar for all the
varieties still to be harvested, leading us to begin harvesting Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from the young vineyards as early as 17 September. Towards the end
of September, a passage of rain finally brought the weather conditions back to normal, the water absorbed by the grapes lowered the alcohol levels back to normal values,
allowing us to conclude the harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot on 3 October.

VINIFICATION AND FINING
Harvesting was carried out by hand in 15 kg crates and the grapes were sorted on a double sorting table before and after destemming and then subjected to a soft crushing.
In 2016, optical sorting was introduced in addition to manual selection to further increase the quality of the selection. Each variety and each plot was vinified separately.
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 a maceration period
of around 15 days, with a total stay in the vats of around three weeks. Malolactic fermentation took place mainly in oak barrels (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, it was blended, then reintroduced into the barriques, where it spent a
further 6 months. The wine remained in the bottle for 12 months before release. - Axel Heinz - Estate Manager