Ornellaia 2022, “Determination” in vertical tasting

Mild weather and clear skies greet us in San Vincenzo as we search for the Poggio ai Santi resort. A lovely place with an unforgettable view of Elba and the Tuscan archipelago. In the background, almost touching it, is Corsica with snow-capped Mount Cinto. From the spacious and well-kept room all this looks like a Vanvitelli painting.

Quick lunch with a formidable Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove 2019 and off to Tenuta Ornellaia where the company’s new technical staff awaits us: Marco Balsimelli, technical director, and, in the evening, Denise Cosentino, the new winemaker (will they forget the magical Heinz-Fusari tandem?). With happy surprise we also find waiting for us Ferdinando and Lamberto Frescobaldi.

Impeccable vineyards

Quick tour of vineyards worked by all-female staff under the direction of theagronomist Giuliano Terchi, for decades the maker of the estate’s grapes. From this tour we learned a lot about the new boundaries of plant breeding. Many changing climatic and rainfall parameters require deep and focused knowledge that contradicts commonly held knowledge.

We retire to the company hospitality for the official presentation of the Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2022 with the artist label signed by Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou. Each vintage of Ornellaia, as part of the Vendemmia d’Artista project (this year in its 17th edition), is associated with a noun: for 2022, “The Determination” was chosen.

The vertical tasting

We remain very pleased to see five vintages of Ornellaia offered together with the Neonato. The plunge into the past takes us all the way back to the 2001 through 2015, 2011, 2005.

In the tasting notes you will also find a wonderful 1997 served in jeroboam at the dinner brilliantly articulated by the Zazzeri brothers of the restaurant La Pineta in Marina di Bibbona.

TO READ THE WINE DESCRIPTIONS, WITH SCORE AND AVERAGE SHELF PRICE, CLICK ON THE TABS BELOW.