Ornellaia Bianco 2020
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James
Suckling - Decanter
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Ornellaia Bianco 2020, with its deep straw yellow tinge, unfurls in the glass with yellow fruit, white floral and vanilla aromas. The harmony and complexity excite with every sip. On the palate, the wine proves refreshing as well as having an elegant creaminess that makes the tasting experience enticing, enjoyable and long lasting.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Creamy nose with quince, stones, sour cream and golden berries on the nose. Quite tangy, bone-dry and saline on the palate with impressive concentration and tension. Fresh, sleek and full-bodied with a long, zingy finish that lasts almost a minute. Saline and lightly creamy at the end.
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Decanter
White flowers, jasmine, peach, apricot, clementine and citrus nuances with a wet stone minerality. Thrilling and ample at the same time, a well controlled weight of almost oily peach and bitter nectarine fruit with a citrus pineapple and lemon kick and underlying hints of honeysuckle giving the florality. Clean with balanced acidity that gives a soft mouthwatering sensation adding to the complexity of the whole. Dynamic with a touch of sweetness and tension - lively and appealing. Director Axel Heinz, winemaker Olga Fusari.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A similar bright yellow/silver, the 2020 Ornellaia Bianco is entirely Sauvignon Blanc raised in barrels and offers a sunny and delicately rounded bouquet, with polished notes of candied grapefruit, salted pineapple, peach rings, and custard. Medium to full-bodied, it has a silky sheen to its texture and harmonious balance, with its delicate perfume lasting long on the finish. This is another exceptional white that I hope is not ignored by lovers of this estate. Truly one of the great Tuscan whites, this luxurious and detailed wine has a lot of elegance and serious aging potential.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This wine that once featured Viognier in the blend, is now 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The 2020 Ornellaia Bianco is quite tropical and generous in personality with immediate aromas of papaya, Golden Delicious apple and crushed stone. The wine is beautifully textured and long lasting. I asked if Vermentino might ever feature in this blend (to bring in a Tuscan grape), but the answer is no for now. Vermentino already plays a role in the estate’s very popular entry-level Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia. Viognier is being cut because the grape is difficult, and if you don’t hit the harvest date just right, it can appear flabby and waxy.
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose indulgently blends fruit and herbs, like pineapple sorbet drizzled with basil syrup, with umami undertones of Pecorino cheese and toasted almonds keeping things in elegant balance. On the rich palate, pineapple continues and is joined by lemon curd, but the saltiness of the cheese perseveres to cut through the luxuriousness.
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Wine Spectator
A full-bodied white, akin to a Bordeaux Blanc, featuring melon, peach, lemongrass, floral, spice and green tea flavors. Rich, yet offset by lively acidity, ending with a touch of grapefruit peel bitterness. Delivers excellent balance and length, with discreet use of oak. Drink now through 2028. 97 cases imported
Other Vintages
2019- Decanter
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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Jeb
Dunnuck - Decanter
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Robert
Parker
-
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck - Decanter
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Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
In 1981, Marchese Lodovico Antinori breathed new life into Tenuta dell' Ornellaia, an estate whose potential had been ignored for decades. With the help of Andre Tchelistcheff, the famous agronomist, Antinori planted the first French vines in Bolgheri, which lies in the heart of Tuscany's coastal region, Maremma. The estate yields some of the finest Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc in Tuscany. In 2002, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi became owners of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, which is now owned exclusively by Marchesi de' Frescobaldi.
Ornellaia has established itself among the iconic wine estates in Italy (and beyond). The estate is dedicated to producing charming and opulent wines, full of Mediterranean character and finesse, reflecting the estate’s unique terroir in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. The combination of Bolgheri’s unique soils and growing conditions, and what can only be characterized as a total obsession with excellence, result in the world-class wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc that so many wine lovers across the world have come to cherish.
Ornellaia employs a full time team of 80 people whose passion and motivation make Ornellaia what it is today. No shortcuts in the part of the production are allowed and the details literally come down to a grape by grape basis. Wines are intently crafted to capture the character of each vintage, in all its complexity and facets. In fact, the character and intricacies of each individual vintage are so important to the estate that since vintage 2006, Winemaker and Estate Director Axel Heinz has identified a single word that captures the character of each vintage, and that word is interpreted by a contemporary artist who produces special labels and a site-specific work of art that remains part of the estate’s permanent collection.
In addition to its place among Italy’s iconic wines, Ornellaia is also an ambassador for the Bolgheri region, leading it to be recognized as one of Italy’s greatest winegrowing regions. It is their belief, and it is hard to argue, that Bogheri’s mild maritime climate and diversity of soils create wines as distinct, complex and pleasurable as any in the world.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
An outstanding wine region made famous by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines for his own consumption in 1940s on his San Guido estate, and called the resulting wine, Sassicaia. Today the region’s Tuscan reds are based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can be made as single varietal wines or blends. The local Sangiovese can make up no more than 50% of the blends. Today Sassicaia has its own DOC designation within the Bogheri DOC appellation.