techniques in the vineyards, as well as density, to the different soil types.” Although all the vines I could see were on cordon, new plantings are generally on guyot, and they are experimenting with alberello (bush vines) for Merlot. As we walked along the rows, Balsimelli told me, “We can definitely say that we learned a lot from 2017, and this experience helped us better approach the 2022 vintage.” Now they retain more lateral shoots on the sunny side to protect the fruit. They no longer do any leaf-plucking but continue to top the canopy to decrease the leaf surface. Balsimelli keeps weed-cover between
the rows for as long as possible, “for the coolness and humidity it provides when it is hot and dry, and the oxygen the roots bring down into the soil. Vigor is the most important thing,” he says, “the right balance for the vine and the soil from flowering onward.” Things in the vineyard can become
difficult before flowering, however, as Frescobaldi remarked: “The vines are adapting and overcoming climate extremes, but the real problem is mild winters and early budding, with risk of spring frost.” Hence, pruning is carried out as late as possible, but by February 5, when I visited, the first buds were already emerging, encouraged by the warm and sunny weather. No wonder they are anxious.
But when Frescobaldi is not fretting about spring frost, which vintages are currently giving him most pleasure? “I want to be intrigued by wine,” he replied. “Historically, I like 2004. Quite some brightness, it’s become an amazing wine. An underestimated vintage is 1998, while 2007 is brutal and massive. A bit apart. 2017 was extreme, while 2022 is not very extreme, but we were overskeptical about 2017. 2017 was very dry and hot and raisiny, but it has developed far better than I expected. We have become a little more ballerina-like on our toes in managing the wine, so they can be more reflective of their vintage, but we still need a line that links all the vintages.” The 2017 and 2022 were born of
similarly hot and dry seasons, but the wines are different, reflecting Ornellaia’s increasingly finely honed management in vineyard and winery to tackle the warmer seasons. “We are a very new region,” remarked Frescobaldi. “If you stop changing, you go backwards.”
64 | THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 87 | 2025
nouveau / liquid assets / preview / review TASTING
2022 Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superior Rosso “La Determinazione”
A touch of exotic fruit wafts across the nose and the palate is rich, at 14.5% ABV. There is both matter and vibrancy. It is compact and concentrated, with a quantity of firm, dense, and slightly chewy tannins, which leaven the ripeness with tannic freshness. Hints of asphalt and wet coal add complexity. The well-sustained finish is appetizingly sapid, and I like the fresh and enticing bitterness at the end. Not a shy wine. A wine with purpose. 2030–45. | 95
2017 Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superior Rosso “Solare”
The 2015 and 2016 vintages were a hard double act to follow. From a hot and dry season, this hits 15% ABV, evident in the heady exoticism of the rich, soft, and full-bodied palate, which is enveloped in the perfume of star anise and ground coriander. To be super-critical, the tannins are a touch grainy, and the finish is shorter and a little dry in comparison with the 2022, but it’s fresher than expected and undeniably sumptuous. 2026–38. | 93
2015 Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superior Rosso “l Carisma”
I liked 2015 more than anticipated, for it has a reputation as a rich, opulent vintage. The alcohol is, for Bolgheri, a well-mannered 14%. At Ornellaia, the vines shut down in July as temperatures exceeded 30ºC (86ºF) on a daily basis. There was drought, but once again rain in August jumpstarted the vines, and it seems that the cooler temperatures from this point onward have preserved decent acidity, for the wine is fresher than I expected. It also has nicely lifted aromatics, which I suspect might be thanks to the Cabernet Franc—more than usual, with 17% in the blend. The aroma is still youthful and fruit-driven, with a hint of mint and tarragon, then the palate is full, juicy, and generous. A bold, concentrated style, for sure, but with structure from the plentiful tannins, which provide grip. There is depth and a well-sustained finish. Plenty of potential to evolve, despite the high pH of 3.81, for everything is nicely in balance. 2025–40. | 96
2011 Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superior Rosso “L’Infinito”
The season started and finished early, with harvest finished before the end of September. A cooler summer ended with a surge of heat in late-August. Maybe the end of the season was too rapid to achieve full phenolic ripeness, or possibly there was too much extraction, because the texture lacks refinement; the tannins are rather dry and dusty. “Little by little, the beauty of our terroir mitigates the difficulties of the vintages,” remarked Frescobaldi, tasting this wine. Was he reflecting on the growing age of the vineyards? I last tasted this in 2020, and now, in 2025 it still has a touch of the peppery, spicy, leafy notes on the nose I noted down at that time, but the palate has become rather angular and somewhat tart so, based on
this bottle, if you have this in your cellar, I suggest opening it. | 90
2005 Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superior Rosso
This pre-dates the Vendemmia d’Artista project, so there is no chosen word to describe it. Perhaps they would have called it L’Equilibrio, although his was subsequently used for another vintage, for it was a fairly even season, with no excessive temperature or rainfall, although more in September during harvest. There is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc. This is the vintage I most want to drink. It has inviting oregano and tobacco on the nose, with coffee notes showing evolution. On the palate, this well-balanced wine glides with assurance, intensity, and persistence. Maybe these days there would be a little less extraction and fewer than the 18 days post-ferment this wine received. Maybe it would have been picked a tad earlier, so it didn’t reach 14.5%. Nevertheless, it shows very well. I can’t see any benefit in keeping it, not when it is so delicious now. | 95
2001 Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superior Rosso
An evolved, slightly oxidative aroma: I found this past its best. Initially, the palate was quite pleasant, although lacking much intensity. As it evolved in the glass, it dropped any remaining flesh, the tannins became too dry and assertive, and the 14.5% alcohol was exposed. “It began life as a big, opulent wine,” recalled Frescobaldi. But this was a high-yielding vintage, from young vines that needed crop-thinning, and the wine had a punchy post-maceration fermentation of 25–30 days. “It was a great, a beautiful era,” reminisces Frescobaldi, but concedes, “it was all about the ‘optimum’ at that time.” | 88
The 2001 vintage has not aged gracefully, but so much has changed in the intervening years. Not only are the vines much older, but Ornellaia’s approach has significantly evolved to become much more expressive of terroir. The 2022 Ornellaia “La Determinazione” embodies the spirit of a more sophisticated era.
THE VENDEMMIA D’ARTISTA The Vendemmia d’Artista project began in 2009 with the 2006 vintage. “Each edition of Vendemmia d’Artista is born with the character of the vintage, which is chosen by the technical team of Ornellaia,” remarked Balsimelli. “Based on that character, we start looking for the right artist to interpret it.” “We chose Pascale Marthine Tayou for the
vital energy present in every aspect of his work. The artist’s vision focuses on the materiality of color and joy of living. For the 0.75cl bottle, the design is based on concentric circles formed by a series of signs of different colors, which represent the energy and the force generated by the union of many individual elements when they form a single whole.” The proceeds of auctioned bottles of the 2022
Vendemmia d’Artista will be used to support…? A charity. Date of auction: to be confirmed.
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