Tenuta dell'Ornellaia: Ornellaia 2023

Ornellaia is one of the estates that put Bolgheri on the world map. Founded in 1981 by Ludovico Antinori as an answer to Sassicaia, it is today wholly owned by the Frescobaldi family. The vines grow on the varied soils between Castagneto Carducci and the Tyrrhenian Sea, whose afternoon breezes cool the fruit. Marco Balsimelli has led the winemaking since 2023. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (26%), Cabernet Franc (12%) and Petit Verdot (7%) spends around 18 months in French oak barriques. Monica Larner (Robert Parker Wine Advocate) awards 98 points for a complex, botanical bouquet of dark fruit, Mediterranean thyme and rosemary. The palate is velvety and polished, with succulent richness and a long, saline pull.