Ornellaia 2021 Vendemmia d'Artista_ Large Formats_beautyshot
Credit: Ornellaia
(Image credit: Ornellaia)

Ornellaia’s 16th annual auction of artist-designed bottles has helped the Bolgheri estate to donate $325,000 to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s Mind’s Eye programme – a charity that helps the visually impaired to enjoy art through multi-sensory experiences.

In addition to the auction, Ornellaia was able to raise the significant sum from sales through other distribution channels.

Throughout the history of the auction, each vintage of Ornellaia has been given a name to describe its character, which is then interpreted by a contemporary artist. The 2021 vintage of Ornellaia is known as ‘La Generosità’, with a site-specific work and set of limited-edition labels having been designed by Italian artist, Marinella Senatore.

The auction, held by Sotheby’s between the end of May and early June, included jéroboams (three litres), imperials (six litres) and one salmanazar (nine litres) of Ornellaia 2021 – all numbered and signed by Senatore. In addition, the label design will feature on one bottle in every six-bottle case.

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‘I used the collage technique that I love so much and that enables me to organise many details, images, energy flows and thoughts on a piece of paper,’ said Senatore. ‘The labels were conceived as a set of collages, which describes the land, the generosity of its traits, and the relationship between the land, energy and human beings.’

Cyra Levenson, deputy director, education and public engagement at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, added, ‘With Ornellaia’s Global Partnership and support, the Mind’s Eye programme is now an international initiative, providing a way to experience the Guggenheim’s one-of-a-kind architectural sites and inspiring collections in the digital space for anyone anywhere.’

The programme is now being run in three Guggenheim museums: Venice, New York and Bilbao.

In April, Decanter travelled to Bolgheri to meet the new production director for Ornellaia and Masseto, Marco Balsimelli – read the exclusive interview with the man who replaced Axel Heinz, and the man who hired him, Lamberto Frescobaldi.

First taste: Ornellaia 2021

Decanter meets: Marco Balsimelli, production director for Ornellaia and Masseto

Bolgheri 2020: Vintage overview and top-scoring wines

James Button
James Button
Regional Editor - Italy

James Button is Decanter’s regional editor for Italy, responsible for all of Decanter's Italian content in print and online.

Like many others, he started his wine career at Majestic Wine, giving him a strong grounding in the subject before successfully completing the WSET Level 4 Diploma in 2010. From 2014 to 2016 he managed the fine wine department of a startup wine company in London, before joining Decanter as digital sub-editor.

Outside of wine, James enjoys cooking, skiing, playing guitar and cycling.