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1990 Ornellaia

1990 Ornellaia

96 RP-NM

Availability:

Critic Reviews

A great vintage all over Europe, this is most likely, after the scarce 1988, Ornellaia’s vintage of consecration after only five years of winemaking. Michel Rolland arrived in 1991 and remains Ornellaia's consultant today. The wine has extremely elegant citrus and black pepper aromas, with fresh cherry flavours complemented by a leathery core and a white chocolate and cigar-leaf finish. It has shades of light and dark all over the palate, with a full, quite fleshy suppleness balanced by refreshing natural acidity and crunchy extracted tannins. Drinking Window 2019 - 2030.

Decanter | 97 DEC
Good fresh deep red. Knockout nose combines black fruits, tar, mocha and humus. A hugely concentrated, sweet wine with great richness of fruit and extract. The first vintage of Ornellaia to reach 14% alcohol, and it shows in the wine's compelling thickness. Far from the subtlest wine in the range, but ripe acidity and big, sweet tannins give it plenty of verve and grip. Today, I find this wine fresher and a bit more detailed than the estate's 2000. A monumental wine today, but this could still use another four or five years in bottle to reach its peak.

Vinous Media | 96 VM
This is a blockbuster with masses of chocolate, earth, minty aromas and flavors; full bodied with full round tannins and a super acid backbone. Best Ornellaia ever made. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. 8,330 cases made.

Wine Spectator | 95 WS
Another super effort from this producer, Ludvico Antinori's 1990 Ornellaia is a worthy successor to the super 1988. Fat, supple, and loaded with black-cherry and curranty fruit, and a dash of vanillin from new oak barrels, this full-bodied, velvety-textured, opulent wine should drink well for 10-12 years.

As good as the Ornellaia is, it is hard to imagine how terrific the single vineyard offering Ornellaia called Masseto must be in 1990. Several of my Italian friends claim it is absolutely brilliant.

Robert Parker | 92 RP

Wine Details for 1990 Ornellaia

Type of Wine Super Tuscans/IGT
Varietal Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.

Country Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France.



Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate.



The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned.



The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market.



With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.


Region Tuscany : Italian culture worships the concept of a shared meal, and their wines scream for a chance to be uncorked with your friends and family. The region's Mediterranean climate and hilly landscape combine to create a beautiful viticultural environment, where every chosen grape is brought to its full potential and transmuted into drinks worthy of gods. The vineyards are planted along the higher reaches of the hill slopes, creating a gorgeous view of the Italian landscape.

Once your lips kiss the wine, you're sent spiraling down a veritable whirlpool of pure flavor, touching upon notes of sensuous cherry, nuts, floral hints and undertones of honey and minerals. The wines can be as sweet as a fresh summer romance, and carry an air of dignity and elegance about them that can stimulate your intellect for months as you contemplate the seemingly infinite intricacies and details in the texture. Tuscany is an important part of Italian viticulture, and sampling their wines is the closest you can get to visiting this heavenly region and experiencing the culture.
Subregion Bolgheri Superiore

Overview

Producer Ornellaia

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