Ornellaia
About Ornellaia
Founded in 1981, the estate which overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea is comprised of 99 hectares of the finest vines in Tuscany. Located by the sea but sheltered by neighbouring hills, the vineyards are planted at altitudes ranging from 50 to 120 meters above sea level, on slopes ranging from 5 to 20°. Possessing a very particular microclimate, this terroir is excellent for both perfect ripening as well as stunning views.
Viniculture
Remarkably, for an estate of this size, grapes are still hand-harvested before undergoing extremely rigorous sorting to ensure only the finest fruit is vinified. The result of these tremendous efforts in both the vineyard and winery is a flagship cuvée to rival the greatest wines on Earth. Most closely associated as a rival to the mighty Sassicaia, Ornellaia is in fact a different beast entirely. With a significant proportion of Merlot in its blend, alongside no shyness towards new oak, this is an altogether more opulent and sensual Super Tuscan.
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Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (99)
One of the few 2022 Tuscan wines where you can really see that this will benefit from a few years in bottle, right now it is, hovering on the edge of something delicious, vibrating over the tannic architecture, feathered, campfire smoke, fennel, blackberry, liquorice and crushed peonies, and the bitter fennel and slate scrape, dense, contrast of textures and flavours like only truly great wines can do, a reflection of skilful construction. A gorgeous wine, slowly stretching out in the palate, 65% new oak for ageing. Harvest began August 9 for the whites, and the reds began August 25 with Masseto, and then a few days later for Ornellaia, one of the earliest on record, with around 38hl/h yield.HK$8,390.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2014 Ornellaia Bianco is a real head-turner. A wine of tension, body and pure acid-driven energy, the 2014 bears more than a passing resemblance to the dry whites of winemaker Axel Heinz's native Bordeaux. Orchard fruit, lemon confit, mint and white flowers all develop in the glass, but the 2014 is above all else a wine of texture and intensity. The Ornellaia Bianco sets a new standard for what is possible for dry whites on the Tuscan coast. The Bianco is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Viognier and 15% Petit Manseng.HK$13,105.00 -
James Suckling (99)
This is a fantastic white. The greatest Ornellaia white so far. Very complex and dense yet, at the same time, energetic and vivid. This shows so much richness and density with a pretty, phenolic texture that keeps you entranced. Full-bodied with lots of honeysuckle, green-melon and cooked-apple character. Very long and flavorful. Dynamic and great wine. Drinkable now, but better in 2021.HK$6,765.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2017 Ornellaia Bianco shows a bit less nerviness than it has in the past. Then again, this is 2017. Orchard fruit, white flowers and tropical overtones add lovely shades of nuance. In 2017, the Bianco also has a bit of Viognier, which no doubt adds richness. In previous years, the Bianco has been more Bordeaux-like. The 2017 is decidedly more exotic in spirit.HK$5,795.00 -
James Suckling (96)
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.HK$3,430.00 -
James Suckling (96)
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.HK$4,760.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Enticing waves of perfectly judged gunsmoke reduction on the first nose, dancing across the palate and hinting at minerality rather than closing things down. Fragrant, joyous, chiselled citrus, lime, chamomile and lemongrass, with a slate scrape texture giving grip, depth and persistency. I've said it before, but I put this right up there with my favourite dry white wines, alongside Pavillon Blanc, Remelluri Bianco and Penfold Yattarna. This is winemaker Axel Heinz working his magic. Love it.HK$5,140.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Enticing waves of perfectly judged gunsmoke reduction on the first nose, dancing across the palate and hinting at minerality rather than closing things down. Fragrant, joyous, chiselled citrus, lime, chamomile and lemongrass, with a slate scrape texture giving grip, depth and persistency. I've said it before, but I put this right up there with my favourite dry white wines, alongside Pavillon Blanc, Remelluri Bianco and Penfold Yattarna. This is winemaker Axel Heinz working his magic. Love it.HK$5,500.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
This wine that once featured Viognier in the blend, is now 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The 2020 Ornellaia Bianco is quite tropical and generous in personality with immediate aromas of papaya, Golden Delicious apple and crushed stone. The wine is beautifully textured and long lasting. I asked if Vermentino might ever feature in this blend (to bring in a Tuscan grape), but the answer is no for now. Vermentino already plays a role in the estate’s very popular entry-level Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia. Viognier is being cut because the grape is difficult, and if you don’t hit the harvest date just right, it can appear flabby and waxy.HK$5,140.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
This wine that once featured Viognier in the blend, is now 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The 2020 Ornellaia Bianco is quite tropical and generous in personality with immediate aromas of papaya, Golden Delicious apple and crushed stone. The wine is beautifully textured and long lasting. I asked if Vermentino might ever feature in this blend (to bring in a Tuscan grape), but the answer is no for now. Vermentino already plays a role in the estate’s very popular entry-level Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia. Viognier is being cut because the grape is difficult, and if you don’t hit the harvest date just right, it can appear flabby and waxy.HK$7,495.00 -
HK$1,880.00 -
James Suckling (92)
A fine-grained and focused red with berry, coffee and spice aromas and flavors. Medium body and a clean finish. Extremely pretty and delicious to drink now.HK$2,980.00 -
Vinous (91)
The 2018 Le Volte dell’Ornellaia is fresh, fruity and an absolute delight to taste. Crushed red berry fruit, spice and floral notes abound, giving the 2018 an effusive character that is impossible to miss. Silky and gracious, the 2018 will drink well upon release. The purity of the flavors here is really quite lovely.HK$1,320.00 -
James Suckling (91)
This is very Mediterranean in character with sage and rosemary to the blackberry and tar aromas. It’s medium-to full-bodied with medium, chewy tannins and a savory finish. Black-pepper undertones with cloves. Drink now.HK$1,150.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (93)
Grabs you from the first moment your nose hovers over the glass. Smudged charcoal runs into raspberry, underbrush and mandarin orange peel that speaks of Tuscan sun. Excellent quality, good persistency in the glass as it stretches out through the palate. Everything feels in balance, and this provides another indicator that 2020 is a great vintage in this corner of Italy - Le Volte is (almost) 100% Merlot but has freshness and nuance. Director Axel Heinz, oenologist Olga Fusari.HK$1,185.00 -
James Suckling (92)
A firm and silky wine with bark, berry, chocolate and light coffee aromas and flavors. Medium body. Creamy textured finish. Merlot with cabernet sauvignon and some montepulciano. Drinkable and fresh. Drink now.HK$1,290.00 -
Wine Advocate (92)
This is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. In this hot vintage, the Merlot was slightly reduced. The Ornellaia 2022 Le Volte dell'Ornellaia remains a plush and accessible Tuscan red. Harvest time saw lower yields on average, with smaller berries and greater fruit concentration. This wine matures in used oak passed down from the top-shelf wines. There is blackberry and dark cherry with sweet spice.HK$1,165.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (93)
The 2023 Le Volte Dell'Ornellaia is a saturated red/ruby color and is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, raised in used barrels for around 10 months. Always a wine leaning into the fruity and approachable side of things, the nose is fruity and fresh with aromas of candied flowers, crushed raspberries, red apples, and fresh stony earth. Medium to full-bodied, it’s very elegant with a joyful ease. It’s a great snapshot into these wines, which are mighty tasty now and have a lot of character. Drink 2025-2035.HK$1,840.00 -
(3x37.5cl) 2014HK$3,140.00 -
Decanter (93)
Ripe nose of peach and apricot with tropical pineapple and some orchard yellow apple and quince. Rich and multi-layered with very good ripeness on the palate allied to fresh acidity and some intriguing herbal characters.HK$1,025.00 -
(1x150cl) 2019Decanter (94)
Clean and crisp on the nose, this smells inviting with a white florality and fresh fruit aroma to it full of peach, pear and green apple alongside baked vanilla notes. Aromatic on the palate too with candied lemon peel and pear notes and hints of spice on the finish which adds interest and structure. Excellent concentration, opulent and generous with a nice roundness to the overall feel. Will age well. Made from 91% Sauvignon Blanc and 9% Viognier.HK$1,670.00 -
(6x75cl) 2019Decanter (94)
Clean and crisp on the nose, this smells inviting with a white florality and fresh fruit aroma to it full of peach, pear and green apple alongside baked vanilla notes. Aromatic on the palate too with candied lemon peel and pear notes and hints of spice on the finish which adds interest and structure. Excellent concentration, opulent and generous with a nice roundness to the overall feel. Will age well. Made from 91% Sauvignon Blanc and 9% Viognier.HK$2,935.00 -
(1x150cl) 2020Matthew Jukes (18.5)
One always has to wait a while for this wine to find its way onto the market after the initial flurry of wine broker activity, but I hope it will do so soon because this is one of the most sophisticated PaGs I have ever tasted. In fact, it is drinking rather nicely already with none the theatricality of bygone vintages nor any of the ponderous, demanding characteristics of some of the heavier, food-craving wines of the past. This is a civilised, hauntingly graceful and amazingly complex wine, which allows each of its component grape varieties the time and space to greet the drinker. This welcome restraint brings a new level of allure to Poggio alle Gazze, making it a must-buy for fans of Italian white wines. I cannot think of another vintage of this wine that will please many diverse palates with its finely balanced flavours.HK$2,015.00 -
HK$2,470.00 -
(1x150cl) 2014HK$4,980.00 -
Wine Advocate (93)
The 2015 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is a dark, exuberant and opulent wine that is teeming with flavor, ripeness and extract. That said, there is also a note of impurity that I only really locked in on when I went back to taste the wine at different time intervals later in the day and the next. To be clear, it was there upon first examination, but then it blew off. And then it came back. That game of hide and seek proved distracting and puzzling. I wondered if it was cork or barrel, although it did not behave like any of those things, and my doubt is recorded by the question mark next to my score. Once you get past that little blemish, you are instantly aware of the beauty and depth of the vintage. The wine is savory in terms of aromas and sweet in terms of tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon flavors of dried blackberry, toasted espresso and cured tobacco play leading roles.HK$12,400.00 -
HK$12,400.00 -
HK$12,525.00 -
HK$11,385.00

