Ornellaia 2021

The wine in this vintage

April frosts, reduced yields and a hot, dry summer with cool nights: 2021 gave Tuscany small, concentrated grapes with vibrant acidity and is unanimously regarded as an outstanding vintage. Ornellaia 2021 lives up to expectations: cassis, blackberry, blueberry, violet, graphite, cedar and fine spice weave a bouquet of great depth. The palate is powerful yet extremely precise, with very fine tannins, energy and impressive length. James Suckling and Antonio Galloni both gave it 99 points. It is still a young wine, already captivating for its purity, that will amply reward those willing to cellar it for many years.

The producer · Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

Founded in 1981 by Lodovico Antinori in Bolgheri, on the Livorno coast, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia became within a few decades one of the international symbols of Italian wine. The first vintage of Ornellaia was 1985; since 2005 the estate has been wholly owned by the Frescobaldi family, who have consolidated its style and global reputation. The vineyards spread across the hills and plain of Bolgheri, on a patchwork of alluvial, sandy and clay soils tempered by Tyrrhenian breezes and day-night temperature swings. Ornellaia is a blend of Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, marrying Mediterranean generosity with classic structure. Alongside it, Masseto, a pure Merlot from the hill of the same name with its Pliocene blue clays, is now run as a separate entity and complemented by Massetino, introduced with the 2017 vintage. Since 2009 the Vendemmia d'Artista project has paired each vintage with a contemporary artwork.

Critics' scores

• 99 James Suckling
• 99 Antonio Galloni
• 96 Robert Parker

Technical details

Producer

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia

Region

Toscana

Country

Italia

Type

Rosso

Vintage

2021

When to drink

Hold, still evolving

Critics' average

98/100

Sizes

75 cl, Magnum 150 cl, Case of 6 × 75 cl

eWibe code

0680221