Ratings:
97
Antonio Galloni - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The 2009 Ornellaia caresses the palate with layers of seamless, radiant fruit. Sweet red berries, mocha, flowers, new leather and spices are some of the many notes that are layered in this sumptuous, totally beautiful wine. The 2009 stands out for its silky tannins and phenomenal overall balance. This is one of those wines that will probably enjoy a long drinking window. There is little question the ability to blend grape varieties was a huge help in this vintage. In my opinion, that is the main reason Ornellaia is a slightly more complete wine than Masseto in 2009. In one of my blind tastings, the 2009 made a very eloquent case for itself as the wine of the vintage. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. In 2009 winemaker Axel Heinz used the highest percentage of Cabernet Franc ever in Ornellaia and gave the wine less time in oak, both with the goal of preserving as much freshness as possible. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029." (06/12)
97 Wine Enthusiast
"If you've ever wondered what makes this wine so special, the answer is simple: elegance. This shows polished fruit and spice aromas that are intense, balanced and beautifully integrated. The blend is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance made up of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The palate is dense, rich, smooth and supple. Drink this after 2018. Cellar Selection" (04/13)
95-96 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com
"Full and juicy with black pepper and spice aromas and flavors. Very intense. Powerful but not heavy with lots of structure and backbone. The 25% of Petit Verdot in the blend gives the spicy character. Wait and see." (04/12)
94+ Ian Dagata - Vinous Media
"Deep ruby-red. Multidimensional aromas of blackberry, iron, Oriental spices and cedar. Very intensely flavored and suave, with a wonderfully silky texture over a firm underlying structure. A hint of eucalyptus provides lift on the extremely long finish, which features building tannins and a violet nuance. This is a remarkably suave Ornellaia, but it seems a little less concentrated than usual and comes across as almost too polished. Maybe all it needs is a little time to put on more weight and develop greater complexity. " (09/12)
94 Wine Spectator
"Very aromatic, featuring floral and leafy black currant scents that follow through to plum, iron and tar flavors. Bordeaux-like with a supple texture, yet also firmly structured, offering herb and spice notes on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2013 through 2020. 2,200 cases imported. -BS" (10/12)
Product Description:
"Very deep crimson. Rather more contained than previous vintages. More like a super-ripe claret than an exercise in extremes. Fresh and revitalising. But with no rough edges. Very easy to like. With good control of heat and sweetness and kid glove treatment of tannins. Gosh, what a lot of effort has gone into this! No chocolate. Just pleasure. Should be lovely with the calves liver and onions that await it. Drink from 2012 to 2022. (JR)" (06/12) - 17.5 out of 20 Points, Jancis Robinson's Purple Pages
Wine:
"Ornellaia, Estate's flagship wine, was first produced with vintage 1985, from an extremely careful selection of the vineyards Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, grown on Ornellaia." - Winery
Climate & Harvest:
"The 2009 growing season saw a Winter and early Spring that were cool and rainy, and budbreak occurred in line with past years. May was dry, but the rains returned in June, without however negatively impacting vine growth or flowering. Summer was practically rainless, and hot, with temperatures often rising above 35 degrees C and very narrow day-night temperature differences.
Strong scirocco winds from Africa between late August and early September hastened the ripening process, particularly in early-ripening varieties such as Merlot. The harvest, which began on 28 August and finished on 14 September, was in fact one of the earliest and quickest in the history of Ornellaia. In mid-September came rains, which gave a breathing spell to the later ripening varietals which matured perfectly with outstanding complexity. The picking stopped for a full nine days, to resume on 23 September with the aroma-laden Cabernet Franc, followed by the astonishing Petit Verdot. The grand finale came on 6 October, with the last clusters of Cabernet Sauvignon which displayed superb structure." - Winery
Vinification and Ageing:
"The clusters were hand-picked into 15-kg boxes and then graded and selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, and finally soft-pressed. Each grape variety and single vineyard block was vinified separately. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at temperatures between 26-30 degrees C for one week, followed by 20-25 days of maceration on the skins. The malolactic fermentation took place primarily in oak barriques, 70% new and 30% once-used. The wine then remained in barriques, in Tenuta dell'Ornellaia's temperature-controlled cellars for about 18 months.
After the first 12 months of maturation, the wine was assembled and then returned to the barriques for an additional 6 months. After bottling, the wine aged a further 12 months prior to release." - Winery
Winemaker's Notes:
"Ripeness and elegance are the two qualities that can best describe Ornellaia 2009. Born from a vintage which began cool then turned hot, it was necessary to take painstaking care during harvest in order to preserve the grapes' crisp acidity and aromatic complexity. The wine's fragrances are generous and cleanly-defined, with rich, well-ripened fruit, complemented by chocolate and balsamic notes of aromatic herbs. On the palate, silky-smooth and spacious, with glossy tannins. A lively, refreshing acidity lifts a lingering finish." - Winery
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