Ornellaia unveils 2014 ‘second wine’

Italy’s Ornellaia has launched the 2014 vintage of its second wine Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia – the support act to its Super Tuscan Bordeaux-style Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore.

The Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is the first wine to be released by Ornellaia from the 2014 vintage.

First produced in 1997, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is made primarily from the estate’s younger vineyard and is made from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

The 2014 vintage is comprised of 50% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot – representing a decrease in Petit Verdot and increase in Merlot compared to the 2013 vintage, where the percentage of these varieties stood at 12% and 32% respectively.

The “unusual” 2014 harvest was once of the latest on record, with picking starting on 6 September and ending on 22 October. A warm and rainy winter was followed by a mild, dry spring, a “distinctively average” July and a cold and rainy August, combining to create difficult conditions to ripen grapes. A sunny and dry September and October, thankfully, helped to redress this.

“A late vintage with a long period of ripening, 2014 presented us with wines that generate a great amount of pleasure,” said Axel Heinz, who recently took on the role of estate director, in addition to winemaker.

“Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2014 has a ruby colour of medium intensity. On the nose it develops fresh crisp fruit aromas underpinned by fine notes of spice. The palate is of medium weight with notes of red berry fruit. The tannins are fine, silky and particularly polished. Soft and enveloping yet with a clean lively finish.”

Each variety was hand picked, de-stemmed, vinified separately and fermented in stainless steel tanks for two weeks, followed by a maceration period of 10-15 days.

The resulting wine was matured in 25% new and 75% one year old oak barrels for 12 months before being blended and matured for a further three months and bottled six months prior to its release.

Established in 1981 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori of the Antinori family, the Ornellaia estate’s first vintage was released in 1985.

The estate quickly established a reputation with its Bordeaux-style Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore becoming known as a “Super Tuscan”. As well as its second wine, Le Serre Nuove, the estate also produces Le Volte – a blend – and, until recently, Masseto, a Merlot varietal. The running of Masseto has recently been handed over to Alex Belson, now director of Masseto, which has become independent of Ornellaia as a registered wine estate.

Last year Ornellaia released Ornellaia Bianco 2013 – its first “serious” white wine – a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Viognier.