Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia

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18 years ago

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2005

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2005, recently released and enjoyed here in la belle paese is another of those 2005 vintage Super Tuscans, usually such a flag bearer for Italian wine, that might have suffered from the wet and wild 2005 Tuscan weather. Bad vintages set apart great winemakers and Tenuta dell’Ornellaia have a sterling reputation and team Axel Heinz/Leonardo Raspini go to work to ensure, if grapes ripen Ornellaia reach excellence. They released 2005 and im pleased they did, for what we have here, like the Tignanello 2005, is a wine more quickly approachable and at prices that are not going to smash through the roof (not that €92 is small potatoes but it’s far less than the 2004).

This producer was far more upbeat about 2005 than Antinori was about their 2005 Tignanello but, how much of this is a positive spin on a bad vintage? I’ll let you decide. Tenuta dell’Ornelellaia produce a top quality Merlot, the Masseto, together with Redigaffi probably Italy’s finest, but their most interesting wine is this one, the Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia blended effort, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. These wines, in great vintages are even spoken about in the same breath as Lafite and the Italian wine community are very proud of this vino. Exporting well to the US where Wine Spectator, Tanzer and Parker also wax lyrical about the wine, we are talking about a world famous and celebrated wine, did 2005 hold up?

Um. Kinda. Almost. Well, not really. At €92 and 92 points I wouldn’t fill my cellar with this wine, but, it’s Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia, it’s going to sell, restaurants will be snapping this up and marking it up thru the roof and, at this price, if you’ve always wanted to try this wine, if it is your life’s ambition, then this can seem like an attractive proposition. It’s a good wine, it’s just not “a smart buy”.

*** Now, as a reward for reading this far and because last week the blog received over 500 readers a day I am going to run a competition in celebration! All you have to do for free vino is leave a comment! That’s it, simple pimple. I am going to choose one comment leaver, at random, and send to them FOR FREE, FOR NOTHING, AS A GIFT, GRATIS, 6 bottle of Cellar Door vino just because I have love! Of course you must be over 18 and, sorry, must live in Europe (inc Ireland and the UK). Leave a comment on this blog entry any time before 4pm Friday 11th of July. ***

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2005 – PASS – €92

Interesting dark ruby red in the glass, a lovely generous nose filled with mocha, chocolate cherries, spices and some light oak. Surprisingly mid bodied but drinking very well, nice length to the finish, nice rich mouth feel, well structured and a pleasant palate flavour profile of blueberries and coffee. Drinking too well today, if such a thing can be claimed! 92 Points

Like the Tignanello 2005, this wine should be maturing in a couple of years. 2004 was an outrageous vintage and 2006 sounds far more promising so if it really, really is your life’s ambition, and you have exactly €92 in your pocket. Then shoot!

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans – Nettari Etruschi – €92

Americans – Sterling Fine Wines – $129

Brits – Nettari Etruschi – £73

Leave a comment!

So here we are, competition time, let’s see how many of you are attracted to freebies!

So for a free 6 pack of wine, leave a comment and answer this question…

“If you were a bottle of wine…. (see where this is going?) what bottle of wine would you be”?

Go varietal or producer name, go Italian or Californian I care not!

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