Ornellaia 2006 "L'Esuberanza"
Regular price $350.00
BOLGHERI DOC SUPERIORE ROSSO
The desire to nurture the Estate's exceptional qualities has shaped Ornellaia's philosophy since the beginning. Ornellaia is a cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot and the faithful expression of unique terroir developed in harmony with nature.
2006 Growing Season
56% Cabernet Sauvignon
27% Merlot
12% Merlot
5% Petit Verdot
The winter of 2006 was cold and wet enough that budbreak was delayed despite the hot spring days that followed, and full bloom only arrived in the first week of June. The usual vigor of the buds was accompanied by good productivity that did require moderate pruning, in the younger vineyards as well; a moderate pruning of this kind if indicative of good balance between vegetative growth and fruit production. During the summer there was almost no rainfall on the Tuscan coast. Fortunately, the temperatures never became excessive, and this allowed the vines to develop good aromatic potentials. At the beginning of the harvest the grapes were perfect: concentrated and uniformly ripe. The sunny, well ventilated days at the beginning of September allowed us to harvest the Merlot and Cabernet Franc at just the right moment. The steady rains that fell on September 15 & 16th slowed the ripening of the Cabernet Sauvignon, though a wait of a few days was sufficient at allow the grapes to reach perfect ripeness and make their journey to the cellars, where the harvest ended late in the afternoon of October 4th.
Vinification and Ageing
Selecting only the best quality fruit in the vineyards, the clusters were carefully hand-picked into small, 15kg boxes and transported to the winery where the second quality selection was carried out on a double sorting table, both before and after the grapes were de-stemmed. The grapes were then given a gentle pressing, and each separate grape variety and each vineyard block was fermented separately, for a total of 66 different base wines. The wines remained in barriques for 18 months in Tenuta dell'Ornellaia's temperature-controlled cellars. After 12 months, the final blend was assembled from the base wines, and underwent six months of further ageing in barriques. The wine was then aged for 12 months in the bottle before release.
Winemaker's Tasting Notes
"The main characteristic of Ornellaia 2006 is without a doubt its lush depth and 'exuberance' ("L'Esuberanza"). Here is a powerful, concentrated wine whose intensity is immediately obvious. Its complex, rich bouquet is complemented by sweet, dense-packed tannins and a lively acidity, and all of its components are in admirable harmony creating a very elegant wine." - Alex Heinz -May 2009
Ratings
Wine Advocate 97
Wine Spectator 95
James Suckling 98
Antonio Galloni 97
750ml
ABV 14%
