Nothing in the world…

There is nothing like a dame!
Nothing in the world…
There is nothing you can name,
That is anything like a dame, until you have tasted the Super Tuscan white Ornellaia Bianco IGT Toscana (Bellaria) the vinous-mistress to the Bolgherian Cavalier, Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore. The latter is a classic blend, as you probably already know, of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petiti Verdot. The cheeky little dame first came home with 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

I have been lucky enough to drink the first vintage 2013, then the 2014 & 2015. My notes tell me that all three years proved to be very normal wine-making years, infa ct textbook for this costal area. The Sauvignon Blanc was harvested by hand in 15kgs bins in the early hours of the morning and immediately cooled on arrival in the cellar to keep all their aromatic potential intact. The whole grape clusters where then selected and subjected to slow and soft pressing with maximum attention to protection against oxidation. It worked! No malolactic fermentation was carried out and the juice was aged for 12 months on the lees with periodic batonnage over the year. The wine was then aged in steel vats for 3 months before bottling, and then another 6 months in bottle to settle down, before release. You are now probably asking as to how it tastes?

“Ornellaia 2013 white has an intense yellow colour with green hints. It’s aroma has rich floral and fruity notes, underscored by highly complex toasted tones. On the palate it’s broad with a mature, sweet fruity flavour balanced by a lively, juicy acidity. The long finish concludes the tasting with toasted and mineral notes.”

“The 2014 Ornellaia white also has an intense straw gold colour, on the nose it expresses complex exotic fruit aromas with a strong minerality and subtle vanilla notes. On the palate it is full-bodied and broad with a beautiful vein of minerals and acidity giving the wine great poise, finishing with a mouthwatering sensation”.

“The 2015 Bianco has an intense but bright colour and its classic aroma of mature and lively citrus fruits, highlighted with subtle toasted and vanilla notes, are picked up on the nose. A full-bodied Ornellaia with a  juicy palate reflects the sunny season, but at the same time it’s vibrant acidity and crisp fruity character leave a very fresh and elegant impression in the mouth. The tasting finishes with a classic touch of saltiness and subtle toasty notes”.

There are never more than 4.000 bottles produced annually  and since the first vintage only 200 bottles where ever shipped to England. Super rare!

I did not mention this before, as I forgot, but since 2014 the team at Tenuta dell’Ornellaia have added a very small percentage of Viognier to the cuvee. You can probably see from the notes above this attention to ‘body’ in the wine. It gives the wine shoulders and a splendid harmonic feel.

There are still a few bottles of each vintage available at LCB VT should you be tempted. 2013 @ £270bt, 2014 @ £280bt and 2015 @ £260bt (as usual these prices are per bottle Under Bond/LCB VT)

We’ve got sunlight on the sand
We’ve got moonlight on the sea
We’ve got mangoes and bananas we can pick right off a tree
We’ve got volleyball and ping-pong and a lot of dandy games
What ain’t we got?
We ain’t got dames!

Orders:  william@worldwineconsultants.com