Ornellaia Le Volte dell’Ornellaia, Toscana IGT

Description

Ornellaia Le Volte dell’Ornellaia is this world famous estate’s third wine, after Ornellaia itself and Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia. It is a “Super Tuscan” blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and was first released in 1991.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is one of the best known wineries in the  in the Bolgheri appellation on the coast of Tuscany. The estate was founded in 1981 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori. The estate comprises of 115 hectares of vineyards nestled in the foothills near Bolgheri which lie just a few kilometres from the Mediterranean coast (next door to Tenuta San Guido, producer of Sassicaia). During the summer months, the cool sea breeze caresses the vineyards and nearby olive groves, while during the winter the hills provide protection from the cold north winds. The vineyards benefit from a unique combination of maritime climate and a complex mosaic of marine, alluvial and volcanic soils – creating a distinct environment where red and white varieties can best express themselves. Eventually, in 2002, the estate was purchased by Robert Mondavi who entered into a partnership with the Frescobaldi family (Masseto, Luce et al.) who then bought it outright in 2005. Michel Rolland is the consultant oenologist.

The different varietals for the Ornellaia Le Volte dell’Ornellaia were fermented separately in small steel tanks to maintain their varietal characteristics. The alcoholic fermentation was followed by malolactic fermentation, again in steel tanks. The wine was then aged for 10 months, partly in barriques used previously for Ornellaia and partly in concrete tanks, to obtain the perfect balance between tannic structure and an expression of fresh fruit.

The blend for Le Volte is usually around 50% Sangiovese and the rest a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.