First complete Ornellaia vertical EVER in the U.S.

Ever want to know what wine writers do behind the scenes? Well too bad, because we are going to show you anyway. In an attempt to clear out a backlog of wine related mumbo jumbo, your favorite winemonkey was able to dig up this diamond in the rough. Salute!


ORNELLAIA VERTICAL NOTES
(First complete Ornellaia vertical EVER in the U.S.)
Hosted by Leonardo Raspini, technical director & agronomist
3/13/07

General Notes
• Started very Italian
• Moved to BDX when Rolland came in (from LB to RB/Garagiste)
• Moved to more modern CA, forward style in more recent years
• More “Parkerized” with Tannin winning over Acid

1985 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
Made in Antinori family cellar
15,000 bottles
12-16 mos oak
Vines planted 1982
We liked it – stars for both of us
(J) Mint, damp earth, autumn leaves, tobacco, age, cherry, black tea, toast
Great complexity, zesty acidity, very layered, a lot of acid on finish, pretty, A, A, B+
(T) Firm, tight palate, zingy acidity, aged character, Italian edge, lean, minty, damp earth, peaking now, beautiful nose, pretty aromas, opens up black tea/earl grey, amazing

1986 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
Out of magnum – made a difference/helped
Made in Antinori family cellar
16-17 mos. Oak
Weather – dry at end of season
(J) dried fruit, prune/plum, rich, lots of good acidity over green, concentrated fruit, chocolate on finish, deep, dark, more oak, drinks better with time in glass, B+
(T) nutty, tobacco, mint opening up nicely, little green on palate, young vines still here, past peak - drying

1987 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
From ’87 on in San Guido Cellar
More Merlot in blend
(J) Gritty, chocolate, brine on nose. Sweet fruit, tobacco, spice, good acid, concentrated fruit, long tobacco finish, dry tannin, mint, exotic, B, B+, B+?
(T) Tad corked? Was it weather? Darker, extracted, age showing, almost amarone/port, deep, good rich palate but softer, long finish, PIPE TOBACCO, dry

1988 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
Slightly corked
(J) coffee, damp earth, cherry, some must on nose. Cherry, little must, drying tannin but acidity does come through, pretty, tobacco, dried leaves, dried out, pp, NR
(T) corked? A little funk? Dried out, questionable

1989 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
Weather not so good
Out of magnum
(J) I like this style bug headed downhill now. Sweet, toasty, earthy on nose. Charred, different on palate. Burnt flavors get in the way, tight, grippy, still some fruit in magnum, probably gone in 750, B+/PP
(T) firm, tight, decent grip, sweeter nose than previous wines, ripe, good intensity, a little burnt “Hamburger says”, finish a little burn?, smokey, char, past peak, drying out, drink now

1990 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
$300
ROLLAND COMES ON THE SCENE, winemaker change
(J) Coffee, cherry mint, pipe tobacco on nose. Pretty, smooth palate with citrus-like acidity, vanilla, oak, attractive, not as dark on palate as some others, not as lush maybe but elegant, def. drying out but nice now. Star for me. A, B+, A, PP
(T) Ripe, rich, peppermint oil, really nice, more oak on palate

1991 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
CORKED, NR

1992 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
$150
138,000 bottles
Demonstrates the vineyards according to Raspini
(J) Ripe, richer, ground coffee, good fruit on nose. Rich coffee, a little green on finish. Hole in middle? No depth/complexity, lacks character, acid overwhelms, dry/astringent. B+, B, B.
(T) Plain Jane, same ripe style, something missing/hole in it, complexity is down, acid is up, a bit nervy, B+, B, B+

1993 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
(J) Bordeaux styling (Pauillac/St. Julien!), coffee, rich, sweet fruit on nose. Led pencil, tobacco, classic BDX on palate. Very drinkable, I like it, starred it, but where is Italian terroir? A, A, B+
(T) Nice wine, shoe polish, carnation, good acid, better than ’92, BDX in style, St. Julien

1994 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
STYLE CHANGE
170 or 190,000 bottles
91% CS, 14% M, 5% CF
(J) Brighter fruit, vanilla, ripe, more “modern”, rounder, less personality thu middle, depth? “Pape Clement”, B+, B, B+
(T) Creamy, candied, nut, rich, deep, rounder than the rest


1995 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
$250
200,000+ bottles
’95 and older merlot 15 – 17%
(J) Fresh, very dark fruit, blue/black berry, ink, vanilla, gritty tannin, huge but w/ good acid to back It up, B+, B, B+
(T) rich, creamy and forward style, some zing in nose, softer in front, good something with high acidity

1996 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
$225
(J) Led pencil, nice berry fruit, big, grippy, dark, earthy, tannins take over acid, chocolate, rich finish, dense, tough to judge, B+?
(T) Similar nose to ‘93, shoe polish, musty? Soft in front again, comes up at the end with grip

1997 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
$275
Selections cut back starting with 1997 – second label introduced
(J) blue fruit, fresh, vanilla, ripe, jammy, acid & alcohol, heady, crowd wower, easy to go back to, CA style, B+ or A?
(T) Style change again?, completely different, rich but “green”, spicy, Italian, a lot in there

1998 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
$200
(J) dark berry, sweet fruit, needs time, layers, BDX style again, really nice on 2nd taste, huge tanning, oak, better than 1998 for me, star, B+ to A peak
(T) same style as ’97 perhaps “richer” good nose want to drink from the nose, BDX like again

1999 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
(J) Good fruit, complete wine, rich, concentrated, toast, black berry, good depth, Italian spice returns, good stuff, found, power & elegance, big, give it time, peak A, star from me
(T) still tight, young, not ready, save, really nice

2000 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
$225
(J) licorice, dark fruit, some mint, plush, forward but well balanced, approachable, designed wine, tannin present, B, B, A?
(T) ripe, plush, forward, stull good something, and firm/tight.

2001 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
$160
(J) Italian spice back, more red fruit, round, forward, toast, good structure but is it green on the finish, B+
(T) Tighter, firm, ripe, plush frame, good structure, the most Italian of recent vintages

2002 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
$160
(J) Extracted, contrived, this is what people mean when they say “made in the winery”, forward, what else can you say? No depth. B
(T) Extracted, man-made, yet tad green, B+, B, B+

2003 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
$150
(J) designed, forward, fruity, vanilla, lacks depth, sweet fruit, still get green on end, a little weird on finish, B+, B, B
(T)Ripe, plush, forward, homogenized

2004 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
NOT YET RELEASED
(J) good fruit, nice ripeness, not over or under ripe, good acid, B+ or A for Peak Grade
(T) great vintage, ripe, brambly (obviously) yet good, strengthened (?) with good acid

2004 Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia
Bolgheri, Italy
3/13/07
SECOND WINE
(J) Cheesy, earthy, black fruit
(T) good intensity but cheese and green flavors