Lamberto Frescobaldi and Marco Balsimelli standing among their wine bottles.Supplied
Marco Balsimelli’s first job as the new head of winemaking at Ornellaia was to blend the 2022 vintage, which presented significant challenges in the vineyard owing to a prolonged hot and dry spell during the growing season followed by rain and humid conditions at harvest. Around the iconic winery in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast, that wine is also known as ‘La Determinazione’ owing to the resilience required by the team to produce exceptional wines.
Balsimelli is a Tuscan native who worked extensively with renowned producers in Bordeaux before returning home to become technical director and production manager at Frescobaldi’s flagship estate in 2024. He says blending wine is complicated but exciting because of the diversity of climate and vintage variation in this unique region of Tuscany.
“When we do the blend, we have more than 80 different wines in front of us,” says Balsimelli. “You must find the right solution to express the essence of Ornellaia.”
Warm weather in 2022 led to low yields in the Ornellaia vineyards. There was a 15-per-cent reduction in crop, owing to smaller than normal grape bunches and berries, which typically produce powerfully concentrated wines thanks to a greater skin and seed ratio. Care was taken in the vineyard and sorting at harvest to eliminate unfit grapes. (The prices commanded by the estate’s wines means they can afford the added time and expense involved.)
The finished blend for Ornellaia 2022 saw an increase in petit verdot, which adds colour, structure and fragrance to a blend, and the reduction of merlot, which contributes fruitiness, softness and body. The blend retains the typical volume of cabernet sauvignon and franc.
“People are looking for wines that are more approachable, with more freshness,” Balsimelli says. “I am happy with that because I don’t like big wines with too much tannin, too much structure, too much oak. That’s not my style or the style of Ornellaia.”
Founded in 1981 by the Antinori family, Ornellaia introduced cabernet sauvignon, merlot and other international grape varieties to three estate vineyards near the Tyrrhenian Sea. While sangiovese is widely considered the signature grape for Tuscany, Bordeaux-style blends are the most successful wines from Bolgheri.
One of the earliest “super Tuscan” wines, high-quality red wines made with international grape varieties not permitted by local winemaking laws, Ornellaia released its first red blend in 1985. The ownership changed several times over the years, with the Frescobaldi family taking full control in 2005.
The estate produces a selection of wines each vintage, notably Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia and Ornellaia Bianco, a barrel-fermented sauvignon blanc, plus grappa and olive oil. (It’s also home to a sibling winery, Masseto, which is focused on merlot from a neighbouring vineyard. Balsimelli also oversees that operation.)
Each product is marked by the distinctive landscape where the grapes are grown, Balsimelli explains. “We want nature to show its best side.”
The Ornellaia vineyards.Supplied
The wild vegetation of the Ornellaia estate offers a stark contrast to the regimented order of acre after acre of vines dotting the landscape of Bordeaux, where Balsimelli worked for 17 years.
“When you arrive at Ornellaia, you cannot see the vines from the main road,” he says. “There are olive trees, oak trees, all these beautiful forests surrounding vineyards that are located between the sea and the hills. It’s important to cultivate this biodiversity, to live in a complex ecosystem.”
Ornellaia has cemented its place as one of the Italy’s most famous labels and the world’s most collectable wines. The 2022 vintage is priced at $325 a bottle, which represents a significant investment, but accessibly priced compared with some top-tier Bordeaux or Napa cabernets of similar quality levels.
The real excitement on a value-for-quality axis is Le Serre Nuove Dell’Ornellaia, which was first produced in 1997. The label has evolved from being a ripe and approachable red, often made with younger vines from the estate, to being a second wine in name only. In recent vintages, Le Serre Nuove offers a polished and poignant character that is worthy of its own spot in the limelight.
Ornellaia also produces Le Volte dell’Ornellaia, a blend bottled as a Tuscan red wine because it uses sangiovese from other parts of the region. Made in a savoury and consistently enjoyable style that sells in various provinces in the $30 to $40 range, Le Volte’s 2022 vintage makes the most of its silky texture and expressive dark fruit and floral notes.
Ornellaia 2022 (Italy), $325
Rating: 98
My initial impression of the newly released Ornellaia 2022 was it was the most approachable and complete expression I had tasted at this stage of development. Despite the hot and dry growing season, this shows vibrant red and dark fruit, supple structure and seamless texture. The rich and refreshing character makes this a compelling red wine that’s ready to drink and has the potential to age gracefully. The aroma and flavours opened over the course of the tasting to suggest a charming mix of herbal, floral and graphite notes that increase its star power. This has 14.5 per cent ABV and 3 g/litre residual sweetness. Drink now to 2055. Available at the above price in Ontario. The 2022 vintage will release in Quebec later this month and western provinces in July.
Le Serre Nuove Dell’Ornellaia 2022.Supplied
Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2022 (Italy), $78.95
Rating: 94
The blend for Ornellaia’s second wine, Le Serre Nuove, in 2022 is based on merlot with cabernet sauvignon (25 per cent) and cabernet franc (10 per cent). The result is a classically styled red wine with layers of flavour and fine-grained tannins that need time to develop. Compared with its big brother, this is more restrained. A year or two in bottle should see the sinew and vitality unclench to let the wine’s well-defined flavour and freshness take the wheel. Collectors take note, this offers terrific value for the money. This has 14.5 per cent ABV and 3 g/litre residual sweetness. Drink 2027 to 2037. Available at the above price in Ontario, $79.99 in British Columbia, various prices in Alberta, $79.75 in Quebec, $84.50 in New Brunswick.
