actually the wine is supposed to be a bit different from all of them, and not quite like anything else.


Tension, freshness, and richness The winemaking and aging have evolved over the years, with less new oak and some bigger barrels, particularly for the Sauvignon, from 2019. New oak is now down to between 20 and 25 percent, from between 30 and 40 percent in the early years. Fermentation is all in barrel, and there is no malo.


The wine is all about the tension between texture, richness, and freshness, and it can vary quite dramatically; it has not been an even trajectory over the years. For example, the 2018 is super-ripe, the 2019 much crisper; and the 2020 and 2021 are, says Heinz, in the middle. “Some regions allow both texture and aromatics,” says Heinz, “but the farther south you go, the more you have to choose. It’s difficult to have freshness, aromatic quality, and richness. Diversifying grape varieties is one way, but it’s difficult to find the exact middle. And there might be no choice—the vintage might force you.” And for all the possibilities for playing around with styles, it has Ornellaia’s name on it, so it has a lot to live up to. You have to be careful. “It has to fit into the overall Ornellaia style,” says Heinz. Viognier might not be the perfect choice of blending grape, he thinks—but ask him a really stupid question, like when it will be what he wants it to be, and he quotes conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt to the effect that if he were satisfied, he might as well be dead. And on that note, let’s look at the offerings. Ask Heinz which is his favorite wine, and he picks quite a lot of them. “I like 2019, because I like the direction in which we could push the wine in a fairly warm year, which was not early ripening. I like 2015, because there’s an element of surprise; and 2013, because it’s the first vintage and at an interesting stage. And 2017, because it’s one thing to be successful when conditions allow success, and another when conditions are less favorable.” 


Opposite: The first vertical of Ornellaia Bianco, 2013–19, led by Axel Heinz at Bibendum Restaurant in London in October 2022.


THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023 | 97


TASTING


2013 (70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Viognier)


The first vintage. Heinz describes 2013 as “a fake cool year.” The wines have a lot of freshness because the growing cycle started late—a couple of weeks late. Summer was hot and dry, and the grapes ripened quite late. The oak is present, and the nose is creamy and rich, with tropical notes. But all this is cut through with high acidity; the palate has confit lemons and nuts. Good weight and a long finish. | 90


2014 (74% Sauvignon Blanc, 13% Viognier, 13% Petit Manseng)


This is the year with “absence of drought”— indeed, says Heinz, absence of summer. “I’d like to see a year like it again—but not for the reds,” he continues. “We were trying out a lot of things this year.” The nose is leaner than on the 2013, and there’s a touch of honey and some salt on the palate. Taut and concentrated. Less fat and flesh than 2013. | 93


2015 (100% Sauvignon Blanc)


A warm and dry summer, slightly challenging for whites. The Sauvignon became rich, concentrated, and powerful, so that adding Viognier would clearly have been a bad idea. A lean nose, with some pineapple. The palate drives forward, structured and sleek. Salted lemons, ripe and pure; some herbal notes; steely structure, very long and muscular. | 94


2016 (100% Sauvignon Blanc)


A warm spring and an average summer, with some water stress alleviated by sea breezes that cooled the nighttime temperatures. Broader


and more evolved than 2015, more yellow fruits and nuts. Plenty of freshness, acidity, energy, and drive. Lovely texture. | 91


2017 (91% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Viognier)


A hot, dry year, with the earliest ever harvest here, starting on August 7. Heinz was away on holiday and allowed his vineyard manager to pick a few plots. “It’s always dangerous to allow your vineyard manager to pick when you’re not there,” he says. “You never know what you’ll find.” It was never the greatest year for whites, he adds, but it’s aging better than expected. Pear and fennel on the nose; ripe pear and citrus on the palate, with good freshness, herbal touches. Very good length. | 91


2018 (91% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Viognier)


This was the year when Heinz wanted to find out how late they could pick. “When picking had finished, I thought we might have pushed things too far, so we slightly reversed the trend in 2019. But the wine surprises me: I thought it might not age, because of how far we’d pushed it. Aromatically, it’s a bit past what we wished, but its evolution is positive.” Taut, tight, rich, slightly hot on the finish—quite hot, actually. But fresh, with underlying finesse. But that weight of heat on top makes it feel a touch top-heavy. | 89


2019 (81% Sauvignon Blanc, 19% Viognier)


A rainy spring and a late start, and then 45 consecutive days without rain in summer, with a cooler August. A hot summer after a rainy spring. Perfumed, a bit greener on the palate; crunchy— certainly a reaction to 2018. Tight, precise. Silk wrapped around crunchiness; lovely texture. Some green hazelnut notes and an attractive slight bitterness. Very polished. | 94


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220