Tenuta dell' Ornellaia - Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore Rosso 2018

ORNELLAIA 2018 'LA GRAZIA' - BOLGHERI DOC SUPERIORE ROSSO

The desire to promote the exceptional quality of the winery has characterized the Ornellaia philosophy since the beginning. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, Ornellaia is the authentic expression of a unique terroir developed in harmony with nature.

THE VEGETATION PERIOD 2018
After a few years that made us almost forget what winter is like, in 2018 the climatic conditions returned to normal. A series of days with temperatures below zero were sufficient for the vines to begin their well-deserved winter rest. Spring should be remembered as one of the rainiest in history, with precipitation three times higher than the seasonal average and high temperatures in April. Despite the late bud break, thanks to the climatic conditions and rapid growth, the vines were able to make up for the delay and began flowering a whole week earlier. Although precipitation levels were less than in May, they remained above average throughout June. Only July gave us a respite with warm and dry weather. The berries started to ripen between July 22nd and 25th and the month of August was as hot as last year but a bit rainier. Sugar and acid levels developed slowly while the grapes grew relatively large due to the high water content in the soil. September was hot and rain-free. Temperatures were above the seasonal average, but thanks to the cooler nights, the vines were able to recover and preserve their aromas and acidity. The harvest of the red grapes began on August 31st with the Merlot and ended on October 8th with the later varieties.

VINIFICATION AND AGING
After being hand-picked in 15 kg boxes, the grapes were selected both before and after destemming on double sorting tables and then gently pressed. In addition to manual sorting, optical grape sorting was introduced in 2016 to further increase the quality of the selection. Each grape variety and each vineyard plot was vinified separately. First, the one-week alcoholic fermentation took place partly in stainless steel tanks, partly in cement vats at temperatures between 26 and 30 °C, and then the maceration for a total of around 15 days, so that the time in these tanks totaled around three weeks. The malolactic fermentation was mainly carried out in oak barrels (70% new barrels and 30% second use). The wine remained in the barriques, which are stored in the temperature-controlled wine cellar of Ornellaia, for a period of approximately 18 months. After the first twelve months, the grape varieties were blended and then poured back into the barriques, where the cuvée remained for another six months. After bottling, the wine remains in the bottle for a further 12 months before being released on the market.