Harvest Began on August 22nd and ended on October 12th
New York, NY, November 14, 2016 – On Wednesday, October 12th, iconic Tuscan winery Ornellaia completed its 31st harvest, and thus far, the 2016 wines exhibit all the classic characteristics of Bolgheri’s best vintages.
The winter was uncommonly warm, and heavy rains in February filled up groundwater reserves which led to a budbreak more than a week earlier than the norm. From May onwards, the weather was sunny, and both temperatures and rainfall hewed to seasonal averages, leading to balanced vegetative development and culminating in a rapid flowering that was completed between May 23rd and 28th, a week earlier than usual. In contrast to other growing areas of Tuscany, Bolgheri experienced little summer rain between June and August, with a slight slowdown in vine growth but a rapid véraison in the final week of July.
Ornellaia began harvesting Sauvignon and Viognier between August 22nd and 31st; the resulting wines exhibit a superb balance between alcohol levels, richness on the palate, and vibrant acidities, while the later-ripening Vermentino and Verdicchio grapes were brought in following rains in mid-September, when cooler temperatures made it possible to harvest the clusters under optimal conditions.
Ornellaia began picking the red varietals on August 24th, one of the earliest-ever starting dates, and at this stage, the 2016 wines exhibit the classic characteristics of Bolgheri’s best vintage: saturated colours; ripe, expressive fruit; a luscious, rich tannic structure; and textures that are already polished and silky. All of the wines eloquently express their respective varietal character: the Merlots are voluptuous and generous, the Cabernet Sauvignons tight and vigorous, and the Petit Verdots tannic as expected. At this point, the magnificent quality of the Cabernet Francs should be noted, with fabulous opulent aromatics redolent of its prized wild dark berryfruit and sweet violets, all of which demonstrates the intimate relationship between this grape and our terroir.
The 2016 growing year brought one of the greatest harvests ever, and just as with the 2015 vintage, the 2016 wines are already showing a very high quality level.
About Ornellaia – www.ornellaia.com
Ornellaia’s philosophy considers the birth of the wines to be the truest expression of their terroir. The grapes for Ornellaia are selected by hand, and picked in the estate’s vineyards in Bolgheri, on the Tuscan coast. The varying natures of the estate’s terroirs, marine, alluvial and volcanic, are ideal for the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The Estate extends over 97 hectares along the Tuscan coast, just a short distance from the medieval hamlet of Bolgheri and the famed cypress-lined avenue ‘Viale dei Cipressi’. The constant work of the Ornellaia team and the ideal microclimatic and geological characteristics have brought the wines great international success in just twenty years since the first vintage of Ornellaia in 1985. In 2001, the 1998 Ornellaia was declared Wine of the Year by the American journal Wine Spectator. In 2011 the German publication Der Feinschmecker awarded Ornellaia its most sought-after award, the ‘Weinlegende’. Ornellaia has received considerable recognition in the national and international press, and is consistently ranked among the top estates by Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, James Suckling, Antonio Galloni, Bruce Sanderson and the Italian Wine Guides: Gambero Rosso, Espresso, Veronelli, Duemilavini AIS, and Luca Maroni.
