The Ornellaia estate was first the creation of Ludovico Antinori. His desire to set his own standards apart from the family firm had led him to the Tuscan Coast at Bolgheri, adjacent to his cousin Nicolo Incia's Tenuta San Guido of Sassicaia. The combination of soil and man made this one of the pre-eminent modern wineries of Italian fine wine. The turn of the century saw the estate move into the ownenrship of that other Tuscan royal wine family, Frescobaldi, following a short period of joint ownership with California's Mondavi. The Bordeaux influenced wines of the estate are icons of International Styled Italian wine.

Tenuta del Ornellaia Bianco 2020
13% abv
8,000 bottles produced, up from 4,000.
“The 2020 Ornellaia Bianco is bright, finely cut, dry white. Lime, white flowers, mint and white pepper are all beautifully delineated in this crisp white. I would give this at least a year or two in bottle, as the acids are pretty aggressive today, or several hours in a decanter, which will help soften the youthful edges.” 2023 – 2027
94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous, August 2023
The last four vintages have seen Ornellaia Bianco become 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Pressed and fermented directly into oak barrels ranging from 225 to 600 litres (25% new), it’s fermented then aged, with occasional battonage, for 10 months in oak before bottling. Delicate aromas of passionfruit, stone fruit, and a hint of wood spice lead to a creamy texture in the mouth with a good degree of fruit concentration. Zesty notes of lemon peel along with tart acidity give the wine backbone and structure. Drinking well now, but could age for another five to 10 years.
Drink 2023 – 2033
Michelle Cherutti-Kowal, Decanter.com (November 2023)
- Reference #:
- 20873
- Strength
- 13 ABV
- Bottles per Case
- 3 bottles
- Grapes
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Organic
- No
- Biodynamic
- No
- Vegan
- No
- Vegetarian
- No
- Sparkling
- No
