Producers in Bolgheri are visibly excited about their upcoming 2021 releases. Despite a three-month drought during the hot summer, rainfalls the previous winter and spring ensured that vines could access water reserves, avoiding any water stress. The resulting wines are nicely concentrated but – more importantly – very well balanced with beautiful freshness apparent.
The team at Ornellaia has responded to the increasingly warm and dry growing seasons, reducing the earlier ripening Merlot component in 2021 to 25% (down from 32% in 2020) while Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot have all increased a couple of percent or so to compensate.
Ornellaia 2021 appears superbly fresh; less sturdy and muscular than in the past. This is not only a product of the vintage, but also the result of an ongoing shift towards a more elegant stylistic expression.
La Generosità
Every year, since the release of Ornellaia 2006, an artist is chosen to produce a site-specific artwork and a set of limited-edition labels inspired by the name given to the vintage by the technical team at the estate. The 2021 wine has been given the name ‘La Generosità’ (generosity’), relating to the land which sustained the vines during the hot summer months.
‘It’s precisely the generosity of our soils, together with the meticulous work of the team in the vineyard, that has led to a harvest of healthy grapes with great qualitative potential,’ stated Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of Marchesi Frescobaldi, which owns Ornellaia.
The unique design of the 2021 Vendemmia d’Artista project was created by renowned Italian artist, Marinella Senatore, and features on one of the six 750ml bottles in every case of Ornellaia.
The project also includes a limited edition of 111 large-format bottles (100 jéroboams, 10 imperials and one salmanazar), which are numbered and signed by the artist. Every year, a selection of these bottles is auctioned by Sotheby’s and the profits support the Mind’s Eye program by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, which provides a way for blind or low-vision people to experience art.
Ornellaia 2021: Should I buy it?
2024 is definitely a year to stock up on wines from great current-release vintages, such as 2019 Brunello di Montalcino, 2020 Barolo and 2021 Chianti Classico. But be sure to save some funds (and cellar space) for the 2021s from Bolgheri: the majority are delicious and are already showing well but have the structure to age and evolve.
Ornellaia proves to be among the top performers of the vintage, however it’s a more aromatic, elegant style compared to vintages of the past. Those who are looking for the sturdy concentration Ornellaia is typically known for should consider looking elsewhere, but the 2021 is beautifully fragrant and poised, and is likely to blossom sooner rather than later; it will provide drinkers years of pleasure.
Ornellaia 2021 is due for global release on 1 April 2024.
Tasting Ornellaia 2021:
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