Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia - The Volta dell'Ornellaia 2021
Ornellaia is located in the Bolgheri appellation, in Tuscany , Italy . The company was founded in 1981 by Marquis Lodovico Antinori, with the first vintage in 1985. From 2002 to 2005 the estate was co-owned by Robert Mondavi and Marchesi De Frescobaldi but, since 2005, Frescobaldi has sole ownership. In Ornellaia, the notion of environmental sustainability , understood as the use of the natural fertility of the soil, can be identified in various practices and limited measures implemented in the vineyards, with the aim of favoring the biodiversity of cultivated species.
Volte dell'Ornellaia is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese . The different grape varieties were fermented separately in small steel tanks to keep their varietal characteristics intact. Alcoholic fermentation was followed by malolactic fermentation, still in steel tanks. The wine was then aged for 10 months , partly in barrels used for the great Ornellaia wine and partly in cement vats , to obtain the perfect balance between tannic structure and expression of fresh fruit.
The 2021 vintage in Tuscany began with a mild but rainy winter which allowed the soil's water resources to be replenished. After a dry month of March, bud burst took place during the first half of April. The gradual increase in temperatures and normal rainfall allowed homogeneous vegetative growth, to arrive at flowering in superb conditions towards the end of May. Summer arrived in June with slightly above average temperatures and an almost total absence of rain, resulting in veraison during the last week of July. The dry conditions were maintained in August and September, but the spring rains allowed the vines to avoid excessively intense water stress, creating the necessary conditions to obtain very concentrated small berries, with exceptional quality potential. September was warm and sunny, with no rain, resulting in healthy harvests.
Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese
