Ornellaia

Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2017

Bolgheri DOC Rosso

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Coming primarily from the Ornellaia’s younger vineyard sites and made with the same passion and attention to detail as the estate’s flagship wine, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia combines generosity and depth of flavor with an engaging and vibrant personality. Made to be more approachable, yet delivering the quality experience of Ornellaia, Merlot has a dominant role in this wine in contrast to the Cabernet Sauvignon in Ornellaia. 

 

Vineyard

The Ornellaia vineyard totals 280 acres that are divided into more than 70 vineyard plots according to soil type, exposition and varietal. There are three major soil types: marine (sedimentary deposit from the sea), alluvial (marly, sandy clays with mineral veins), and volcanic (schist, gravel and porous soils). All the vineyards are about 3 miles from the Mediterranean shore. The mild maritime climate features sea breezes that keep the sky clear, low rainfall, and long summers that favor the development of aromatic compounds.
Vineyards are planted at high density, from 5,000-8,700 hl/ha, and feature several training systems – spur-pruned cordon, single Guyot, and head-pruned vines.

Winemaking

The clusters were hand-picked into 15-kg boxes and then selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after de-stemming, and finally gently crushed. Each variety and each parcel was vinified separately. Alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel, at temperatures of between 26° and 30°C for two weeks followed by maceration of around 10-15 days. Malolactic fermentation was started in stainless steel, and completed after transfer to barrels (25% new and 75% a year old). The wine remained in Ornellaia’s temperature-controlled cellar for a further 15 months. It was assembled after the first 12 months and then reintroduced in the barrels for a further 3 months. After bottling, it was aged for an additional six months prior to release.

Vintage

2017 will go down in history as being one of the hottest, driest years ever. Things were clear from the outset due to a particularly mild winter, with temperatures over three degrees higher than the seasonal average and rains within the norm. Consequently, the vines budded much sooner than usual, almost two weeks in advance. The vegetative cycle was accompanied by hot weather with very little rain from the month of March, and this was interrupted by a sudden drop in temperatures at the end of April, which caused frost in various parts of Tuscany. Thanks to the mitigating effects of the sea, temperatures remained above zero along the coast, preventing damage to the young buds. The hot, dry weather returned in May, limiting vegetative development and the size of the bunches, while flowering occurred under excellent conditions. There was virtually no rain in July and August but fortunately the hot weather was offset by cooler temperatures at night. The harvest began early, with the first Merlot on the 24th of August, continuing through until the last week of September in hot weather and under sunny skies. Rain finally put in an appearance around the middle of month, cooling things down and creating the perfect conditions for the later-ripening varieties.

Color

Red

Grape Varieties

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot

Appellation

Bolgheri DOC Rosso

Alcohol

14.5%

Suggested Retail Price

$82.00

Reviews

"Delivering harmony and extending nicely"

Wine Spectator - August 6, 2020

"The ripe plum, cherry, black currant, licorice and iron aromas and flavors are enticing in this youthful red. Solid and intense, yet never heavy, delivering harmony and extending nicely on the wild herb-and-tobacco tinged aftertaste. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot." 

 

"A joy to drink"

Jeb Dunnuck - September 3, 2020

"A blend of 54% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot aged 15 months in French oak, the 2017 Le Serre Nuove Dell'Ornellaia shows the warmth of the vintage in its upfront, beautiful perfume of sweet red and black fruits as well as notes of spice, chocolate, loamy earth, and new leather. Just about seamless on the palate, [...] wow, it's just a joy to drink. It should continue showing well for a solid 10-12 years." 

 

"The whole entire presentation here is seamless"

Wine Advocate - May 22, 2020 "The Ornellaia 2017 Bolgheri Rosso Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia is a real charmer of a wine with a sweet, soft and supple disposition. The exact blend is 54% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot. Fermentation starts in stainless steel, and the wine is then racked over to barrique to complete malolactic fermentation. It ages in oak for 15 months. Production is large, with some 250,000 bottles released in September 2019. The whole entire presentation here is seamless, from start to finish, with dark fruit and cherry slowly folding into leather, spice and pipe tobacco. Fruit was denser and more compact in this hot and dry vintage, and you absolutely feel that extra richness and concentration. I recommend another quick two years of aging to relax the wine's tannins that are extra tight in 2017." 

"Violet, tobacco and green peppercorn"

Wine Enthusiast - May 22, 2020

"A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this opens with aromas of violet, tobacco and green peppercorn. The savory, youthfully tense palate offers black plum, licorice, toasted oak and mocha alongside fine-grained tannins." 

"Plump, juicy and so seductive"

Vinous - April 22, 2020 The 2017 Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia is plump, juicy and so seductive, with pretty floral and savory top notes that add a touch of freshness to balance things out. Medium in body and wonderfully inviting, Le Serre Nuove also has quite a bit of energy for the year. The Merlot was picked starting on August 24, which is very early, even within the context of modern-day warm vintages. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, licorice and mint nuances linger in the glass. This is such a pretty wine." 

"Silky tannins and a flavorful finish"

James Suckling - November 11, 2019 "An integrated, ripe red with currant, berry and light tobacco character. Medium to full body, silky tannins and a flavorful finish."

More on Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2017

Is Le Serre Nuove Italy’s Best Second Wine?

January 16, 2020 - Decanter Magazine's Aldo Fiordelli makes the case that Ornellaia's 'little brother' Le Serre Nuove dell Ornellaia might just be Italy's best second wine. At the end of November, Fiordelli had…

The Little Wine That Could: Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia

December 14, 2019 - The San Francisco Examiner's latest printed wine column focuses on Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia's 20th anniversary 2017 vintage. This dedicated story on Ornellaia spotlights Olga Fusari and delves into how…

Trade Materials

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