Ornellaia Bianco 2019, a white wine called Toscana IGT, made from grapes grown in the Tenuta dell'Ornellaia vineyard located in Bolgheri. It is based on Sauvignon Blanc, with 19% Viognier added. The grapes from each plot are fermented separately, and blending takes place only after the wine has been aged in barrels for one year. This patience has paid off, resulting in a white wine that offers not only refreshing citrus notes but also body and depth. The alcohol content is a modest 13%.
The 2019 vintage was a successful one for Bolgheri. A cool, damp spring, welcome rains in July and August, and stable weather during the harvest season led to uniform ripening without a sudden spike in sugar levels that would have disrupted the alcohol balance. The 2019 vintage has been described as particularly floral, and it is precisely these floral nuances that are one of the key factors in this wine's success. Aromas of apricot and stone fruits from Viognier, combined with grassy notes and citrus nuances from Sauvignon Blanc, all of these are beautifully harmonized by a distinct sense of concentration.
Serve at a temperature of around 10-12 °C. This wine is best enjoyed by 2032.
Robert Parker (94)
Made with 81% Sauvignon Blanc and 19% Viognier, the Ornellaia 2019 Ornellaia Bianco is fragrant and fresh, but the wine also shows a rather robust side with extra concentration. This is a hallmark of the vintage, and you even notice it in the distinctive light golden hue that shines prettily from the glass. To the nose, the wine displays a summery set of aromas with stone fruit, ripe peach, midnight jasmine and a touch of fragrant beeswax. There is some density to the otherwise streamlined mouthfeel, with white almond flavors on the close and an elegant touch of crushed stone or chalk. This 2019 vintage is poised for more years of bottle age.
Winespectator (92)
An equally fruity and herbal white, revealing passion fruit, gooseberry and lychee flavors accented by cut grass, chive and sage. Reveals a hint of Bourbon from the oak, followed by a fresh, complex and lingering finish.
James Suckling (95)
Lots of sweat pear and ripe green apple on the nose with some lemon grass and green melon. Medium-to full-bodied with a solid core of fruit that is tight and focused. Stone and dried-flower undertones to it. Vivid, lemony finish. Serious phenolic tension and framing to the wine. Drinkable now, but will age beautifully in time. Drink or hold.
Vinous (94)
The 2019 Ornellaia Bianco is a very reserved wine. It does not appear to have the depth of some of its predecessors, but that is mostly attributable to a shift in picking earlier and using more large format oak. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint, sage and green pear lend energy to this taut, Bordeaux-inspired blend. Readers should plan on cellaring this for at least a year. (Originally Published in March 2022)
Falstaff (94)
Strahlendes Strohgelb. In der Nase mit starkem Ausdruck, duftig, nach saftiger Pampelmuse, Cassis, dazu Holunderblüten und knackiger Granny Smith, im Hintergrund nach edler weißer Schokolade. Zeigt sich am Gaumen saftig und mit geschliffenem Eintritt, zart cremig, hat viel Strahlkraft, im Finale mit elegantem Nachklang und feinem Druck.
