Ornellaia Bianco 2018
-
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
2018 was the longest Sauvignon Blanc harvest in the history of Ornellaia. Picking started shortly after mid-August and ended on September 12th when the last bunches of Sauvignon Blanc were brought into the cellar. With its intense straw-yellow colour, this wine is characterised by aromas of exotic fruit accompanied by mild hints of finely roasted vanilla. On the palate it showsrich, dense with sweet fruit, perfectly balanced by a savoury tanginess.
Blend: 91% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Viognier
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Dried apple, lemon, lime and lemon curd on the nose with hints of cedar. Medium-to full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a fresh, vivid finish. The vanilla cream and sliced fruit are so enticing. Just a hint of wood character at the end. Needs time to come together. Try after 2023.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Ornellaia Bianco is mostly Sauvignon Blanc with a complementary 15% addition of Viognier for added structure and textural support. This vintage shows the usual understated or slightly reserved character that we've seen in past editions. With a little prodding and swirling, the bouquet opens gradually to reveal a pretty assortment of d'Anjou pear, white peach, honeysuckle and toasted almond. The wine is fermented in oak, but malolactic fermentation does not occur. There are pretty dustings of saffron and crushed stone that hint at the evolution and elegance to come with extra time in the bottle. This wine was just released in May 2021.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Also heavily Sauvignon-dominated, the 2018 Ornellaia Bianco is 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Viognier. It's definitely a richer, almost full-bodied white yet it leads with Sauvignon on the nose, with bright citrus, honeyed minerality, and white flower notes, with just a touch of Viognier white peach emerging with time in the glass. Beautiful on the palate as well, with a hint of green almond, it has a round, layered mouthfeel, brilliant balance, and a great finish. I suspect the acidity is relatively moderate (I wouldn't say low), but it's one of those wines that brings richness while holding onto a terrific sense of freshness and vibrancy. Geared for gastronomy, it's drinking nicely today yet should evolve for 5-7 years. I don't generally think Viognier ages very well, so its inclusion here always gives me pause, yet there are exceptions, and I love the texture it gives the wine.
Other Vintages
2020-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
- Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
-
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert
In 1981, Marchese Lodovico Antinori breathed new life into Tenuta dell' Ornellaia, an estate whose potential had been ignored for decades. With the help of Andre Tchelistcheff, the famous agronomist, Antinori planted the first French vines in Bolgheri, which lies in the heart of Tuscany's coastal region, Maremma. The estate yields some of the finest Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc in Tuscany. In 2002, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi became owners of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, which is now owned exclusively by Marchesi de' Frescobaldi.
Ornellaia has established itself among the iconic wine estates in Italy (and beyond). The estate is dedicated to producing charming and opulent wines, full of Mediterranean character and finesse, reflecting the estate’s unique terroir in Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. The combination of Bolgheri’s unique soils and growing conditions, and what can only be characterized as a total obsession with excellence, result in the world-class wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc that so many wine lovers across the world have come to cherish.
Ornellaia employs a full time team of 80 people whose passion and motivation make Ornellaia what it is today. No shortcuts in the part of the production are allowed and the details literally come down to a grape by grape basis. Wines are intently crafted to capture the character of each vintage, in all its complexity and facets. In fact, the character and intricacies of each individual vintage are so important to the estate that since vintage 2006, Winemaker and Estate Director Axel Heinz has identified a single word that captures the character of each vintage, and that word is interpreted by a contemporary artist who produces special labels and a site-specific work of art that remains part of the estate’s permanent collection.
In addition to its place among Italy’s iconic wines, Ornellaia is also an ambassador for the Bolgheri region, leading it to be recognized as one of Italy’s greatest winegrowing regions. It is their belief, and it is hard to argue, that Bogheri’s mild maritime climate and diversity of soils create wines as distinct, complex and pleasurable as any in the world.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
One of the most iconic Italian regions for wine, scenery and history, Tuscany is the world’s most important outpost for the Sangiovese grape. Tuscan wine ranges in style from fruity and simple to complex and age-worthy, Sangiovese makes up a significant percentage of plantings here, with the white Trebbiano Toscano coming in second.
Within Tuscany, many esteemed wines have their own respective sub-zones, including Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The climate is Mediterranean and the topography consists mostly of picturesque rolling hills, scattered with vineyards.
Sangiovese at its simplest produces straightforward pizza-friendly Tuscan wines with bright and juicy red fruit, but at its best it shows remarkable complexity and ageability. Top-quality Sangiovese-based wines can be expressive of a range of characteristics such as sour cherry, balsamic, dried herbs, leather, fresh earth, dried flowers, anise and tobacco. Brunello, an exceptionally bold Tuscan wine, expresses well the particularities of vintage variations and is thus popular among collectors. Chianti is associated with tangy and food-friendly dry wines at various price points. A more recent phenomenon as of the 1970s is the “Super Tuscan”—a red wine made from international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, with or without Sangiovese. These are common in Tuscany’s coastal regions like Bolgheri, Val di Cornia, Carmignano and the island of Elba.