2024 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia “Le Volte” Toscana
I have a soft spot for Le Volte. It was one of the wines I loved when I first started
Producer
Ornellaia
I have reviewed three wines from Ornellaia, from the 2023 to 2024 vintages, all from Toscana. Most are Cabernet Sauvignon. Scores range from 93 to 97, averaging 95; the highest is the 2023 Tenuta Dell Ornellaia Ornellaia Toscana (97 points). Ornellaia also features in one journal article on this site.
Ornellaia is one of Italy’s most celebrated estates and a cornerstone of the Super Tuscan movement. Founded in 1981 by Lodovico Antinori on the coastal hills of Bolgheri, it now belongs to the Frescobaldi family, and its character is shaped by the Mediterranean climate, sea breezes and a diverse range of soils. Its sibling Masseto, a single-vineyard Merlot, has been run as a separate project, with its own winery, since 2019.
The flagship Ornellaia is a Bordeaux-inspired blend — in 2023, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot — long known for opulence, precision and longevity. The 2023, dubbed “La Vitalità,” was the first full production cycle under winemaker Marco Balsimelli, who came from Bordeaux, and marks a shift towards a more vertical, transparent style: graphite, cedar, blackberry and Bolgheri macchia on ultra-fine, chalky tannins. After a season of heavy mildew pressure, a near-perfect September saved the vintage.
Ornellaia Bianco, a Sauvignon Blanc fermented and aged partly in barrel, is one of Italy’s most ambitious whites: waxy yet tense, saline and long. Le Volte is the estate’s approachable red, with the varieties fermented separately in steel and aged ten months partly in barrels previously used for Ornellaia — bright, balanced and far from a wine with nothing to say.
2023 Tenuta Dell Ornellaia Ornellaia Toscana
This vintage completely redefines the estate’s profile, trading in sheer mass for breathtaking electric tension and strict, unyielding structure. The
2023 Tenuta Dell Ornellaia Ornellaia Bianco Sauvignon Blanc
In a vintage like 2023, this wine is absolutely electric. It completely bypasses the heavy, tropical, and over-oaked traps that
2023 Tenuta Dell Ornellaia Ornellaia Bianco Sauvignon Blanc Read Post »
Ornellaia 2023: Release analysis and the Balsimelli Era
In the pantheon of Bolgheri, Ornellaia has always represented the peak of opulence and structural power. However, the 2023 release
Ornellaia 2023: Release analysis and the Balsimelli Era Read Post »