Ornellaia 奧納亞 2020 (OWC 6)

Description

By Alexandre Ma in 2023 (AM98)

If I hade to select a wine from the realm of “Super Tuscan” that epitomizes the pinnacle of aesthetics, undoubtedly, Ornellaia would be the paramount choice. Its nobility and elegance have ingrained into the bones, much like a clear spring that nourishes the earth. Its subdued wild rose notes are akin to the bashfulness of first love; its velvety tannins akin to dancers in candlelight; its intricate layers of complex spiciness, sound like a symphony of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. They envelop you like a spider’s net, when you realised, you have already captured. This wine, in my view, embodies the pinnacle of “Bolgheri” in Tuscany – a sentiment truly understood only by those who have tasted it.

By Vinous in 2023 (AG96)

The 2020 Ornellaia is a gorgeous, elegant wine. Seamless and wonderfully deep on the palate, the 2020 is super-refined from the outset. Even with all of its depth, the 2020 retains terrific freshness and cut to play off its soft, succulent fruit. Overall, the 2020 looks to be a relatively accessible Ornellaia that will drink well with minimal cellaring. I especially admire the precision and understated finesse here.

By Decanter in 2023 (D96)

Estate director Axel Heinz called 2020 ‘a classic Ornellaia,’ and picked the theme of ‘La Proporzione‘ (proportion) to describe its character. Indeed, the blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot marks a return to a more typical blend following the pendulum swings of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon in 2019, and 51% Merlot in 2018. Fine-grained and beautifully textured, its finely integrated tannins support a concentration of black fruits lightened by red berries. Aromas of black cherry, liquorice, dark chocolate, cedar and damp earth make for a fragrant wine, accompanied by menthol and balsamic streaks which run through the wine and impart plenty of freshness. It finishes with a stony and salty element along with some chocolatey and woody hints. Tight and moreish, its ripeness of fruit combined with freshness and structure adeptly tells the story of this earlier-ripening vintage. It lacks complexity in the mouth – this will come with time – but the array of aromas gives a hint of what is to come.

By Wine Advocate in 2023 (WA95)

The 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with small percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It opens to an impenetrable, full-bodied approach with dark fruit, pencil shaving, toasted oak, Spanish cedar, campfire ash and iron ore. For sure, this is an especially concentrated and oak-driven vintage of this iconic wine. It absolutely requires more aging time. It feels quite tight and firm in its youth. The concentration is abundant.