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Ornellaia 2016 "La Tensione"



"This is a luxuriant wine with profuse abundance and beaming optimism. Both the 2015 and 2016 vintages are distinguished by the supple sweetness of the tannins, but the 2016 edition has just a hair more acidity. You don't necessarily taste that freshness, but it does contribute to the linearity and the framework of the wine. This is an iconic vintage for Bolgheri. The summer was dry and warm, and temperatures cooled down at harvest leading to optimal sugar and phenolic ripeness … This wine is generous and thickly layered. It delivers the most beautiful sensations of Softness, Succulence and Structure. The balance between those three S's is Sublime." 96-98 Points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate

"Just bottled, the 2016 Ornellaia is a dense, powerful wine. Naturally, the 2016 is just at the beginning of its life, but I am struck by how polished the tannins are for such a young wine. Ornellaia is at its best starting around age ten, but there is little doubt the 2016 is a hugely promising wine. Black cherry, chocolate, plum, new leather and a range of spice notes all build into a veritable crescendo of aromas, flavors and textures." 96+ Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
 

The desire to nurture the Estate’s exceptional qualities has shaped Ornellaia’s philosophy since the beginning and this enchanting new release from one of Bolgheri’s finest is no exception. A cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, Ornellaia 2016 represents a wine expertly blended to highlight the unique terroir of Bolgheri, developed in harmony with nature. The 2016 characterises an immensely successful vintage resulting in a rich, dense wine balanced by a firm and refined tannic structure, lifted by a juicy and bright acidity. Termed “La Tensione” as a result of the opposing forces of lush ripeness and crisp firmness, Axel Heinz, Estate Director, remarks 2016 shows a “dense raciness”. For the 11th edition of Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista, Ornellaia commissioned American artist Shirin Neshat to interpret character of ‘La Tensione’ Ornellaia 2016 with her disruptive and poetic visual language, the photographer, filmmaker and video-artist alludes to this vintage’s dynamism and strength through the words of the illustrious 11th- century Persian poet, Omar Khayyām.
 

“2016 represents another immensely successful vintage highlighting all the virtues of Bolgheri’s climate: abundant sunshine without excessive heat, a dry summer to allow the grapes to achieve perfect ripeness and concentration, and just about enough rain to avoid stress. All these elements combine to yield a wine that shows lush ripeness and crisp firmness, opposing forces creating a sense of dense raciness we like to describe as “tension.” Axel Heinz, Estate Director

Ornellaia 2016 will be available by allocation only.