2005 Ornellaia & Le Serre Nuove
Ornellaia is one of the greatest of all Italian wines. An iconic ‘Super-Tuscan’ Ornellaia has been a trail-blazer for all that is great in contemporary Italian/Tuscan winemaking. Unashamedly showy, it is nevertheless famed for its elegance and sophistication and is one the most immediately delicious of all of the world’s truly great wines. 2005 was an outstanding Tuscan vintage which coincided with the 20th anniversary of Ornellaia, it is one of the most forward and showy examples I have ever tasted.
Equally exciting is the release of the 2nd Wine of Ornellaia, called Le Serre Nuove. A beautifully sophisticated wine, again in a claret-esque style, we were very impressed by every aspect of this wine.
2005 Prices
2005 Ornellaia in a wooden case of 6 in bond. £420
2005 Ornellaia in a wooden case of 6 delivered inc. duty & VAT £505.
2005 Le Serre Nuove £150 per case of 6.
Italy’s Classified Growths, THE FIRST GROWTHS. Decanter Magazine, April 2007.
“Created by Marchese Ludovico Antinori, Ornellaia was always groomed for stardom, with its 90ha of Cabernet & Merlot, and spectacular Napa-style cellars. Massive new investment by current owner Frescobaldi will ensure Ornellaia’s status as the other great Bolgheri first growth, alongside Tenuta San Guido (aka Sassicaia), for the foreseeable future. Ornellaia has always had an international feel – Andre Tchelistcheff, Michel Rolland and Tibor Gal are among the winemakers who have left their mark – and new Swiss oenologist with a Bordeaux background, Axel Heinz, maintains the tradition. Production is structured along Bordeaux lines with the top-selection estate wine (Ornellaia) and a second label (Le Serre Nuove).”
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Ornellaia 2005
Bolgheri DOC Superiore
60% Cabernet Sauvignon
22% Merlot
14% Cabernet Franc
4% Petit Verdot
Climate and vintage
With the exception of a few especially cold days in February and March that delayed budbreak by a few days, 2005 began with a fairly mild winter followed by a spring that was warm and sunny from the outset. Because of this the vines flowered a week early, about May 20th for the precocious varietals. Vegetative vigour and production potentials were perfectly balanced from the beginning. The amount of bunch thinning required was therefore average for the season. June and July both did their duty: Heat, sun, just a little rain... Perfect conditions for the veraison to occur uniformly. Finally, during August the grapes ripened steadily, with constant temperatures that never exceeded the seasonal average ( 32 C ). A few rainfalls in mid-month contributed to the optimal development of the bunches. At the end of August, the first analyses revealed extremely high polyphenolic potentials, an indication of a great vintage. The harvest began on August 30 with the Merlot from the younger vineyards, and was then repeatedly interrupted by showers, though the sea breezes quickly dried the bunches, while, thanks to the expertise of the harvesters, the grapes delivered to the cellar were perfectly sound. On October 11 the last Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard was picked, bringing the harvest to a close after 23 working days. The different varietals, vineyards, and parcels of land yielded 54 base wines, each an expression of the great potential of the vintage.
Vinification and ageing
The bunches were hand-picked into 15 kg bins, and the fruit was carefully graded and selected on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, After a light crushing, each variety and vineyard block was vinified separately . A week-long fermentation was carried out at 26- 30°C in stainless steel, followed by a maceration of 18 days. Malolactic fermentation took place in oak barrels (70% new and 30% once used). The wine remained in barriques in the temperature controlled cellars of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia for a total period of 18 months. After the first 12 months the master blend was made. The wine was then re-introduced into barrique where it spent the remaining 6 months, followed by 12 months in the bottle prior to release.
Winemaker’s notes
Born in a cooler than usual year, the aromatic complexity and freshness of the 2005 Ornellaia reflect the conditions of the harvest. The delayed harvest allowed us to obtain perfectly ripe tannins that are soft and silky. Deep ruby red in colour, it has an elegant, complex bouquet with red and black berry fruit supported by underlying hints of tobacco and spice. On the palate the wine is full and enveloping, displaying a powerful, extremely elegant densely woven tannic structure that flows into a long fruity finish with balsamic overtones.
Le Serre Nuove Dell’Ornellaia 2005
Bolgheri DOC Rosso
35% Cabernet Sauvignon
50% Merlot
10% Cabernet Franc
5% Petit Verdot
Winemaker's Notes
Le Serre Nuove is the ‘second vin’ of Ornellaia . Its composition is decided upon at the moment of the final blending of Ornellaia by choosing the barriques which combine characteristics of youthfulness and suppleness with the structure, balance and intensity typical of the Estate’s great terroir. The grapes from the younger vineyards generally predominate in the Serre Nuove blend. The amount produced depends upon both the vintage and the final assembly, and therefore varies from year to year.
The 2005 Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia’s strong point is the equilibrium it achieves between bouquet and structure. Its color is bright, and at the same time deep and intense. The younger vines contribute fresh fruit accents to complement the spicy minty notes provided by the more mature vines. A sip stimulates the entire palate, with the ample entrance of the Merlot, which extends, supported by the structure of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and amplified by the freshness of the Petit Verdot's tannins