So sophisticated and elegant, a brilliant expression of Sauvignon Blanc with smoky, stone, lemon aromas alongside pear and green apple - aromatic and so open. Excellent mouthfeel, there's such a lovely weight, slightly viscous with a hint of sweetness but then you get this clarity and complexity from clear aromatics but also the freshness. Nothing is too much, each part playing out in terms of weight, structure, acidity and length. It's the succulence then at the same time the salinity that captivated me, the two playing against each other with the support from plumped up and cushioned fruit giving the overall weight. Really lovely - a treat to taste.
The 2019 Ornellaia Bianco (81% Sauvignon and 19% Viognier) is a more racy, steely wine that doesn't have the generosity of the 2018, yet it stays tight, compact, and vibrant, with lemon zest, chalky mineral, honeysuckle, and hints of grapefruit. Medium-bodied on the palate, it's another concentrated, beautifully balanced white from this team that has great acidity, a balanced, classy mouthfeel, and one heck of a great finish. While the 2018 shows its Viognier component, it's almost impossible to see here, even though it's a larger component. Give bottles a year or so and it should keep for over a decade.
Lots of sweet 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.
Buttery toast, toasted almonds, cooked apples and pears on the nose of this wine continue on the palate. Creaminess, warm pastry and toasted nuts contrast with lemon curd and bright herbaceous flavors, all coming together like a fresh fruit tart on a sunny day. Lovely now, with room to age.
TWI
95pts
The Wine Independent
The 2019 Ornellaia Bianco is a blend of 81% Sauvignon Blanc and 19% Viognier. It has a beautiful, limpid golden color. Tasting it now compared to even a few weeks ago, the wine is already in a much better moment and less overtly oaky. It is calm and refined on the nose with some little spikes of green fruit. There is a much greater range of flavors here than in many of the earlier vintages of Ornellaia Bianco and it has a beautiful rich, silky texture which is not overly heavy. This 2019 has a lovely smoothness and a light, attractive bitter citrus peel note adding some length to the finish. Heinz comments that since 2017, he and the team have reduced the time the wine matures in oak, but in 2019 they also reduced the percentage of new oak to 20%. He adds that he likes the 2019 "… because we were able to drive it in a particular direction." This looks like the right direction to me.
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.
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)
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. Drink now through 2028. 150 cases imported.
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
