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2001 Ornellaia

2001 Ornellaia

96 RP

Featured Review
The 2001 Ornellaia is easily the finest in the history of the estate, warm and spicy on the nose with superbly focused plum and black currant fruit, much complexity and elegance in its concentrated and supple body, and a velvety, enveloping close. It will easily drink well for another two decades. Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Robert Parker | 96 RP

Critic Reviews

The 2001 Ornellaia (magnum) offers up violets, black cherries, minerals and earthiness in a big, structured style. The wine’s sheer intensity and thrust are nothing short of remarkable. Ideally, readers will give the 2001 another few years in bottle; as it is truly majestic stuff but will require patience. The 2001 Ornellaia is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The wine spent 18 months in French oak (70% new) prior to being lightly fined and bottled.

Antonio Galloni | 96 AG
The 2001 Ornellaia is easily the finest in the history of the estate, warm and spicy on the nose with superbly focused plum and black currant fruit, much complexity and elegance in its concentrated and supple body, and a velvety, enveloping close. It will easily drink well for another two decades.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RP
Thomas Duroux, a Bordelais with an Italian mother, came to Ornellaia from Mondavi's frustrated project in the Languedoc. The 2001 was his first complete vintage at the estate, and the energy he poured into perfecting this wine seems to have magnified the greatness of the vintage. When first opened, the classic Bordeaux varieties in this blend take prominence, making it seem like a self-consciously fine wine, sumptuous and international in its sheen. Michel Rolland is a consultant for the estate, and that gloss is a signature of his wines, especially when it hides a taste of the soil underneath. In Ornellaia, that soil character builds to an extremely long flavor of earthy tannin, lasting along with the fatness of the tart black cherry flavor: a brisk ripeness that seems to contradict itself. Taste it a day later and the wine is explosive, a powerhouse with Tuscany written all over it, structured like an ancient tower of stone. This may well be the best Ornellaia we've tasted on release; well worth collecting, it will age and improve for two decades or more.

Wine & Spirits | 95 W&S
Incredible class here, with ultrafine tannins and layers of currants, berries and lightly toasted oak. Full-bodied, yet all in harmony and beauty. Beautifully sculptured. Excellent length. Not quite the 1998, but clearly classic. Best after 2005. 12,920 cases made, 2,320 cases imported.

Wine Spectator | 95 WS
Bolgheri was less affected than the rest of Tuscany by the spring frost in 2001. Indeed, in early July the grapes were thinned - Merlot (about 30% dropped) followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (about 10% dropped), to ensure that the remaining grapes ripened under optimal conditions. In this vintage, Cabernet Sauvignon held the majority with 70% of the blend over 30% of Merlot. Cabernet Franc was not yet included and Petit Verdot was only officially allowed to be produced in Tuscany from 2002. The wine is minty, full of forest floor, liquorice and balsamic notes. It has a kind of dark, brooding elegance, with leather and smoky tones hidden in depth. Full bodied with great length, it fills the palate with super-extracted tannins, yet well polymerised. Drinking Window 2019 - 2019

Decanter | 92 DEC

Wine Details for 2001 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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