Ornellaia e Masseto

Ornellaia e Masseto is located in Bolgheri in Tuscany, Italy. The official address is Località Ornellaia 191, 57022 Castagneto Carducci, Livorno. Ornellaia was founded in 1981, and the first vintage was released in 1985. In 2017, the historic archive of Ornellaia was opened.

The soils of the winery are of marine, alluvial and volcanic origin and contain, among other things, sand, marl, marine fossils, clay and limestone pebbles. The vineyards are divided into numerous small plots, each cultivated individually, and are for the most part oriented to the south-west. The microclimate is influenced by the Mediterranean; for Bolgheri, mild and windy autumn months are described in connection with Ornus dell’Ornellaia.

Among the red grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot predominate, followed by Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Documented white varieties include Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, Viognier, Verdicchio and Vermentino. The individual varieties and vineyard blocks are vinified separately for Ornellaia.

Ornellaia is classified as Bolgheri DOC Superiore Rosso and is blended from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is the second wine of the estate and carries the classification Bolgheri DOC Rosso. Le Volte dell’Ornellaia is a Toscana IGT Rosso. White wines include Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia as a Toscana IGT Bianco and Ornellaia Bianco as a Bolgheri DOC Bianco. Ornus dell’Ornellaia is a late-harvest wine classified as a Toscana IGT Bianco made from Petit Manseng.

For Ornellaia 2023, the grapes were hand-harvested, sorted and fermented in steel tanks as well as concrete tanks. After malolactic fermentation in predominantly oak barriques, the wine matured for around 18 months in the barrique and then for twelve months in the bottle. The other wines are matured, depending on the product, in barriques, tanks, concrete, amphorae or Wine-Globe containers.