Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia - Le Serre Nuove Dell'Ornellaia 2021 (750ml)
Price: $63.00
| Producer | Tenuta Dell'Ornellaia |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Tuscany |
| Varietal | Bordeaux Blend |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Sku | 6661 |
| Size | 750ml |
Jeb Dunnuck: 95 Points
This is one of the great vintages for this cuvée and would be a wine for lovers of Bordeaux. The 2021 Le Serre Nuove Dell'Ornellaia sports a saturated red hue and opens to a great layered and harmonious nose, with aromas of kirsch, leather, fresh Mediterranean herbs, and crushed flowers that all resonate together with wonderful purity and depth. It’s open and generous on the palate, with refined, polished tannins, outstanding length, and refreshing acidity that’s seamlessly woven into the wine. Boy, is this hard to resist now and is a truly stunning wine from recently departed winemaker Olga Fusari. Bravo. Stash as much of this as you can away – it’s one for the ages. A great feather in the cap for Axel Heinz as well, it can only increase anticipation of the house’s top label for next year. Bravo tutti. Drink 2024-2044.
2023 saw the departure of longtime winemaker and estate director Axel Heinz, as well as winemaker Olga Fusari. Ms. Fusari has moved on to lead the team as winemaker over at Ruffino, while Axel has returned to his home of Bordeaux, where he is now the CEO of Château Lascombes. Marco Balsimelli has officially taken over the reins for Axel as of this month (January 2024). Founded in 1981 by Marchesi Lodovico Antinori, since 2005 the ownership of Ornellaia has been entirely with the Frescobaldi family of wine estates. Famed oenologist Michel Rolland has been an instrumental consultant since 1991 and remains so to this day. In the winery, they work entirely with medium toast French oak, hoping not to impact the aromatic profile of the wines too much. The Serre Nuove delle Ornellaia, which was established in 1997, originally served as an outlet for the younger vines of the estate, but today it has evolved, with its own full expression and style, as a wine to drink more immediately than the flagship label. At this year's tasting, I was especially impressed with the 2021 release of this cuvée, and I’m hoping it’s an indication of great things to come from the 2021 flagship label next year.
Wine Enthusiast: 95 Points
On the nose hot meaty umami aromas hold court but dark fruit and a sanguine tangy metallic component prevent those notes of smoke pepper and tar from becoming overpowering. Undertones of vanilla and chocolate lift the fruit on the palate but unyielding tannins and energetic acid ensure the spicy earthiness endures. ? Danielle Callegari
James Suckling: 94 Points
A firm and linear red with currant berry chocolate and cedar character. It?s medium- to full-bodied. Fine tannins that run the length of the wine. It?s tight and focused. Energetic and bright. 50% merlot and 28% cabernet sauvignon and the rest split equally between petit verdot and cabernet franc. Better after 2026.
Vinous: 94 Points
The 2021 Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia packs a huge punch. Masses of dark fruit bittersweet chocolate leather licorice and cloves saturate the palate. I don't remember a Serre Nuove with this much sheer power and somber intensity but the balance is there especially with aeration. It will be interesting to see how the 2021 develops. Today it is quite the powerhouse. - By Antonio Galloni on August 2023 There's quite a bit of news at Ornellaia and sister estate Masseto. Longtime Estate Manager Axel Heinz departed the wineries earlier this summer for his native Bordeaux which opens a new chapter for both estates. ?Two thousand-twenty was the last in a trio of vintages with more rain than usual and no drought but quite a bit of heat during summer." Heinz explained. "Temperatures moderated in August with the arrival of cool evenings. We picked quite a bit of Merlot early for the aromatics. Temperatures then rose markedly leading to a week of rain and then finally to good weather through to the end of harvest." The 2020 wines strike me as quite aromatic in profile with medium-bodied structures and a bit more restraint than is the norm. The 2021s on the other hand are more typical of Bolgheri. They possess notable textural resonance and volume with fine-grained tannins and the exceptional balance of a great year.
jdWine Advocate: 93 Points
The 2021 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia is a nicely extracted and rich blend of Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This vintage is very generous even opulent with dark fruit that is framed by exotic spice baking chocolate and softly toasted tones from French oak. The wine ends on a creamy note with vanilla and cinnamon. The oak needs a few more years to integrate. Following a very productive 17 years at Masseto and Ornellaia Estate Director Axel Heinz announced in March of this year that he was leaving his position. He will join Château Lascombes in Bordeaux as CEO. Axel was born in Germany raised in France and established a brilliant winemaking career in Italy. "It makes it difficult to know which national soccer team to root for" he once joked with me. Under his time at Masseto and Ornellaia the two brands grew in respective strength with individual identities. His new releases command some of the highest prices in Italian wine and are sought after by collectors worldwide. Axel oversaw the construction of the new Masseto winery and he launched a second wine called Massetino (new vintages of both are reviewed here). Axel was quoted in the Italian press as saying "Italy will stay in my heart forever but it's time to go back to France." Published: May 31 2023
Wine Spectator: 93 Points
A polished red complex and perfumed featuring black currant blackberry plum violet and iron aromas and flavors. Builds nicely showing off its poise and releasing the dense tannins at the end. This should evolve well. Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. 3252 cases imported.
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