Dried apple, lemon, lime and lemon curd on the nose with hints of cedar. Medium-to full-bodied with a solid core of fruit and a fresh, vivid finish. The vanilla cream and sliced fruit are so enticing. Just a hint of wood character at the end. Needs time to come together. Try after 2023.
Drenched in white flowers on the aromatics and from the first sip you are hooked. Still young at four years old but already juicy and full of just the right amount of tension. Graphite, slate, nectarine pit and concentrated Sicilian lemons. I have a few unforgettable whites, from Remelluri Blanco to Penfolds Yattarna to Bonneau de Martray Corton-Charlemagne to Pavillon Blanc, and this is right up there. Not many producers or vineyard sites can make Sauvignon Blanc (helped out by Viognier) taste this good. 30% new oak, longest white harvest in history of Ornellaia.
The 2018 Ornellaia Bianco is mostly Sauvignon Blanc with a complementary 15% addition of Viognier for added structure and textural support. This vintage shows the usual understated or slightly reserved character that we've seen in past editions. With a little prodding and swirling, the bouquet opens gradually to reveal a pretty assortment of d'Anjou pear, white peach, honeysuckle and toasted almond. The wine is fermented in oak, but malolactic fermentation does not occur. There are pretty dustings of saffron and crushed stone that hint at the evolution and elegance to come with extra time in the bottle. This wine was just released in May 2021.
Also heavily Sauvignon-dominated, the 2018 Ornellaia Bianco is 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Viognier. It's definitely a richer, almost full-bodied white yet it leads with Sauvignon on the nose, with bright citrus, honeyed minerality, and white flower notes, with just a touch of Viognier white peach emerging with time in the glass. Beautiful on the palate as well, with a hint of green almond, it has a round, layered mouthfeel, brilliant balance, and a great finish. I suspect the acidity is relatively moderate (I wouldn't say low), but it's one of those wines that brings richness while holding onto a terrific sense of freshness and vibrancy. Geared for gastronomy, it's drinking nicely today yet should evolve for 5-7 years. I don't generally think Viognier ages very well, so its inclusion here always gives me pause, yet there are exceptions, and I love the texture it gives the wine.
Rich and almost viscous in texture, this is a serious white from Tuscany, offering peach, melon, floral and thyme flavors that unfold gracefully on the palate, with hints of pine and sage. Shows excellent harmony and length. Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now through 2025. 100 cases imported.
The 2018 Ornellaia Bianco is a powerful, dense wine. Orchard fruit, chamomile, saline notes and dried flowers open in the glass, but only with great reluctance. A rich white, the 2018 Bianco possesses tremendous weight, but it is also very much closed in on itself. I am intrigued to see how the 2018 ages.
TWI
93pts
The Wine Independent
The 2018 Ornellaia Bianco starts off with fresh, waxy lemons, citrus oil, lemon peel and white flower aromas. There is a beautiful pale green-gold tone to the color and on the palate the wine is round, medium-full bodied with quite a rich texture that still manages to be elegant and fresh at the same time. There is a lovely dense, silkiness to the mouthfeel but it is a little more straightforward in terms of its flavor profile. 2018 was a wetter vintage but also had warmer nights towards vintage time which may have reduced some of the accumulation of aromas and flavors. On average, per vintage only 4,000-6,000 bottles of the Ornellaia Bianco are made.
Winery Notes
Ornellaia Bianco was crafted alongside Ornellaia’s flagship wine and translates the essence of the estate’s terroir into a light-filled interpretation of the sun and sea of Bolgheri. Vineyard parcels secretly mind the balance until the time comes to harvest the grapes before challenging time with taut and elegant complexity.
Pre-arrival
Case Only
