Ornellaia new releases in 2008

The latest release of the second wine of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia – Le Serre Nuove 2006 – marks another chapter in the ongoing success of this iconic Bolgheri Estate. Following on the back of the brilliant 2004 and 2005, it was three in a row with what just could be the best yet.

The Spring releases from Ornellaia have become a highlight in all of our calendars but this year’s is particularly important as it is the 20th vintage of Ornellaia to be released. It is incredible to think that we have reached this landmark already but over the last two decades, Ornellaia has not only become one of the most famous wines of Italy but it has received acclaim from all corners of the globe, memorably being voted as Wine of the Year by the influential Wine Spectator magazine and receiving consistent high scores and praise from all of the major critics as well as being a mainstay of a huge number of our own customer’s cellars.

As Ornellaia starts its third decade, we are delighted to be a partner and the exclusive

agent of the estate. Our most recent visit this February once again showed us the tremendous ambition and energy that is everywhere on the estate and the 2005 is a total triumph, different in character to the brilliant 2004 but a worthy wine to be released for this important anniversary. The estate have also decided to mark the occasion by increasing the number of large formats available, due to popular demand, although this is sadly at the expense of bottle stock.

Whilst Ornellaia itself is the flagship, the second wine Le Serre Nuove and the baby of the bunch, Le Volte continue to make huge strides. The 2006 Le Volte, just being released now, is the very best that any of us have seen and looks set to strengthen its already huge appeal to both private customers and restaurateurs. Le Serre Nuove is a genuine second wine, with exactly the same approach and care as for Ornellaia itself and gives a chance for you to enjoy the quality of this estate at a fraction of the price and at an earlier date.

Very expressive nose with touches of balsamic, herbs and black fruits. The palate really fleshes out into bold cassis fruit but with a tight, tannic structure. The fruit is coulis in character, with dissolved vanilla oak notes. Lovely touches of spice, smoke, even mint shows themselves with a vital core of acidity and great length of flavour. This is a complex and very fine wine that needs at least 5 years to integrate fully, with potential to develop further beyond. In summary, a fine, medium term Ornellaia. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2010. Nick Adams MW

£540.00 per 6 bottles (inc. VAT) - add to basket

Possibly the best Le Volte yet, this has deep colours with a vibrant purple rim and a lovely dusty, smoky nose with bold black fruit aromas. Attractive assam tea and ripe blackcurrant jam fruit flavours continue across the palate. This is really quite intense and rich, with savoury briary nuances emerging on the middle and finish, wrapped around a kernel of bright acidity. Bold vanilla oak notes polish off the wine. Enjoy now and over the next 5 years. Nick Adams MW

£78.43 per 6 bottles (inc. VAT) - add to basket

The true second wine of Ornellaia – Le Serre Nuove 2006 is from an outstanding vintage. Although a younger vine selection (mainly Cabernet and Merlot, but also a little Petit Verdot) the colour is deep, with a vibrant purple rim. The nose is cassis and mineral developing nicely in the mouth with notes of spice and mint (a real Ornellaia hallmark). On the palate, it is broad and full, with creamy, herbaceous impressions but above all superb balance and intensity. Really quite open, this wine can be enjoyed now but should evolve beautifully over the next 5 – 10 years.

In 2006 the blend is 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot, which adds a lovely touch of spice to the wine. From the moment I first tasted this wine with Axel out of cask, I shared his sense of excitement and anticipation. It has most beautifully pure cassis fruit character and notes of cocoa and spice. Perfectly ripe tannins frame the wine and at the heart is a kernel of ripe acidity which gives the wine such vitality. There is remarkable intensity and overall a really polished feel. I believe this could be the best Serre Nuove yet since its inception in 1997. You can start to enjoy now but it has the structure and concentration to age and develop for another 10 years.

£161.70 per 6 bottles (inc. VAT) - add to basket

The true second wine of Ornellaia - Le Serre Nuove 2005 is the product of a beautifully balanced growing year and the lively vigour of younger vineyards. The colour is deep, with a vibrant purple rim. The nose offers fragrances of smooth, cassis fruit that develops nicely into notes of spice and mint. On the palate, it is broad and full, with creamy, herbaceous impressions of the Merlot enriched by the impressive black fruit of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Still quite closed and reserved, this should evolve beautifully over the next 2-5 years.

£149.70 per 6 bottles (inc. VAT) - SOLD OUT

With the exception of a few especially cold days in February and March that delayed budbreak by a few days, 2005 began with a fairly mild winter followed by a spring that was warm and sunny from the outset. Because of this the vines flowered a week early, about May 20th for the precocious varietals. Vegetative vigour and production potentials were perfectly balanced from the beginning. The amount of bunch thinning required was therefore average for the season. June and July both did their duty: Heat, sun, just a little rain... Perfect conditions for the veraison to occur uniformly. Finally, during August the grapes ripened steadily, with constant temperatures that never exceeded the seasonal average (32oC). A few rainfalls in mid-month contributed to the optimal development of the bunches. At the end of August, the first analyses revealed extremely high polyphenolic potentials, an indication of a great vintage. The harvest began on August 30th with the Merlot from the younger vineyards, and was then repeatedly interrupted by showers, though the sea breezes quickly dried the bunches, while, thanks to the expertise of the harvesters, the grapes delivered to the cellar were perfectly sound. On October 11th the last Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard was picked, bringing the harvest to a close after 23 working days. The different varietals, vineyards, and parcels of land yielded 54 base wines, each an expression of the great potential of the vintage.

As you can see in the above report from the estate, the key element at the harvest in Bolgheri this year was the 5 day period of continuous rain at the end of September, which, in effect, split the harvest in two. Before the rains arrived virtually all the Merlot had been harvested – and in very good condition. The rain brought a complete halt to the Cabernet harvest. However, once the rain cleared clear dry and relatively cool conditions prevailed - so although there was some (inevitable) dilution, there was virtually no rot.

In 2005, this wonderful estate has produced wines which are at least very good indeed but only time will tell whether they are truly great. Already there is tremendous juiciness to their fruit character, with good levels of acidity and relatively supple tannins. As a result the wines are very showy, attractive and forward, suggesting a medium term ageing profile and earlier drinking than for a classic vintage such as 2004. I recommended them whole-heartedly and consider it fortuitous to have an earlier-drinking vintage in between the more reserved 2004 and 2006 (more of which in 2009!) which are more serious and built for longer term ageing.

The 2006 was winemaker Axel Heinz’s second full vintage and by now he was fully into his stride, with even greater focus on vineyard parcel selections and stricter declassification.

2006 was a superb growing season. After a cold and wet winter bud break was delayed and flowering took place later than usual in June. The fruit set was good and vegetative growth very healthy as the season progressed with a dry, warm summer. There was virtually no rain on the Tuscan coast, but equally temperatures remained consistent and never became excessive. This resulted in a beautifully even ripening period and the harvest started with the Cabernet Franc and Merlot in the first two weeks of September. There were two days of gentle rain on the 15th and 16th of September but this acted as a refresher for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Harvesting continued thereafter and the last of the Cabernet was brought in on the 4th October.

As ever, Serre Nuove is the true second wine of Ornellaia – and as such starts out life on the exactly the same course. It’s fermentation and upbringing is identical to the “Grand Vin” with the exception that it receives less new wood – about 25% in French barriques – and spends less time in the barrel (in 2006 15 months). Clearly it is also a selection of the younger vines on the estate and as such becomes much more approachable, much earlier than Ornellaia.

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