Tenuta dell'Ornellaia · Bolgheri Superiore · 2022
Ornellaia 2022 combines concentrated dark fruit, sweet spice and elegantly integrated tannins in a Cabernet Sauvignon-led Tuscan blend. Blackberry, black cherry, lavender, cedar and dark cocoa unfold with savory mineral accents, freshness and a richly textured finish.
Vineyards & Winemaking
The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. Fruit comes from parcels including Bellaria, Bellaria Nuova, Bellaria Alta, Pero, Fosso, Vigna Vecchia and Stallina. Many vines were planted in the 1980s, with an average vine age exceeding 20 years. Approximately 80 individual wines are made before final blending.
The wine ages for 18 months in oak, up to 70% new, using barrels from different coopers, forests and toast levels. Petit Verdot plays an increased role in 2022, adding structure, dark-fruited complexity and length.
Expert Reviews
The Wine Advocate, 97 Points · 2022 Vintage
"Tasted a few months after it was bottled, the Ornellaia 2022 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia will be coming to market in March 2025. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. The wine sees 18 months of aging with up to 70% new oak, but the trick, proprietor Lamberto Frescobaldi tells me, is drawing from a large group of coopers with different toast levels and forests. "I don't want to make a wine of any one tonnellerie," he says. The oak element is crucial to the identity of this wine that reveals dark fruit, blackberry, sweet spice and cinnamon. Most of the vines were planted in the 1980s, and the average age of the plants is over 20 years old. Fruit comes from many parcels, including Bellaria, Bellaria Nuova, Bellaria Alta, Pero, Fosso, Vigna Vecchia and Stallina. Indeed, some 80 wines are made before final blending. The 2022 vintage will be remembered for its full-bodied appeal, concentrated fruit and generous oak renderings. Petit Verdot plays a slightly larger role in this vintage and was one of the surprise hits of 2022. It serves to elongate the wine and adds to its length. The wine's abundant fruit weight cedes to elegantly integrated tannins. This vintage will appeal to die-hard Ornellaia enthusiasts."
James Suckling, 97 Points · Vintage 2022
"A Mediterranean-style wine. Stunning elegance on the nose, with vibrant dried eucalyptus leaves, flowers, restrained brambleberries and hints of black cherries, dried bananas, milk chocolate, cloves and graphite. The palate is full-bodied with elegant tannins and a touch of dust. It’s savory and well packed, with integrated, brilliant freshness and a ripe, fruity finish with a toasty aftertaste of blond tobacco. Try from 2026."
Jeb Dunnuck, 96 Points · 2022 Vintage
"The 2022 Ornellaia is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. A deep but bright purple/red color, it has a fantastic nose of blackberries, polished cedar, lavender, sweet herbs, and dark cocoa. Full-bodied, it has a rich structure, with warming concentration but a very balanced feel. The tannins are ripe and frame the underlying mineral notes very nicely, its fruity richness fleshing it out harmoniously."
Vinous Media, 96 Points · 2022 Vintage
"The 2022 Ornellaia is a terrific wine for the year. Dark red-toned fruit, mocha, new leather, licorice and spice all take shape in a mid-weight, pliant Ornellaia that is quite alluring, even in the early going. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot, unusual for the elevated presence of Petit Verdot, which did better than Franc in 2022. The higher percentage of Petit Verdot comes through in the wine’s dark-leaning personality and also in the quality of tannins. More than anything else, the 2022 is a reminder of how important a tool blending is, especially in challenging years. I can’t wait to see how this ages. The 2022 Ornellaia is clearly among the most successful wines of the vintage."
Decanter Magazine, 95 Points · 2022 Vintage
"Ornellaia 2022 is bold, dark fruited and spicy at this early stage, reflecting the increased percentage of Petit Verdot used in the blend. Production director Marco Balsimelli settled on 10% Petit Verdot to lend more structure to the otherwise quite soft tannic profile. Not lacking in brooding complexity, it swirls with peppery and herbal nuances and some lovely fresh acidity which carries through to a bright finish. As is characteristic of the 2022s in Bolgheri, this is overall a more compact and dense style compared to the previous year. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot."
Pairing Suggestions
Try with grilled steak, roast lamb or mushroom dishes to complement the wine's concentrated fruit and savory character.
Details
- Producer: Tenuta dell'Ornellaia
- Wine: Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore
- Vintage: 2022
- Bottle size: 750ml
- Country: Italy
- Region: Tuscany
- Appellation: Bolgheri Superiore
- Grapes: Cabernet blend
- Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot
- Type: Red wine
- Aging: 18 months in oak, up to 70% new
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