Tenuta dell'Ornellaia "La Vitalita" Bolgheri Superiore DOC 2023
(Tuscany, Italy) - [WA 98] [JD 97] [VM 96] [DM 96]

About the Winery:
Ornellaia is a heralded Italian wine producer in the DOC Bolgheri in Toscana, known as a producer of Super Tuscan wine. Ornellaia is considered one of Italy's leading Bordeaux-style red wines. The estate also produces a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, the blend Le Volte, the Merlot-labeled varietal wine Masseto, in addition to estate production of grappa and olive oil.

About the Wine:
Ornellaia is a blend of nature and musing. Complex ancient soils converse through human wisdom with a delicate microclimate that is echoed and reflected in the Mediterranean Sea. Prolonged ageing accompanies the estate’s fine wine in achieving its utmost expression, revealing finesse and generosity over time.

The wine is intensely hued, a deep, vibrant ruby red that instantly hints at its richness. The expressive nose conveys beguiling ripe blueberry and blackberry aromas, as well as other black fruits, accompanied by elegant, toasted almond and cocoa notes. Mediterranean shrub overtones emerge as the wine evolves in the glass, further accentuating a bouquet of rare complexity. Generous and mouth-filling, the palate is concentrated in addition to being surprisingly plush and delicate, underscored by a vitality that brings energy and momentum to the tasting experience. The body, while powerful, reveals softness, finesse and perfect balance. The wine has an enduring finish, sustained by silky, chiselled tannins that yield richness, flavour and a lasting persistency.

Ornellaia 2023 is the embodiment of an excellent vintage, authentically conveying the strength and harmony of a unique terroir.

Artist Marina Abramović was invited to interpret the character of the 2023 vintage for the Vendemmia d’Artista project. In addition to creating a site-specific work, he styled a series of large-format bottles with her art. Furthermore, for the Bordeaux bottle, the artist designed a limited-edition label alongside the traditional label. One “La Vitalità” artistic label can be found in every case containing six 750ml bottles of Ornellaia 2023.

55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot 

Vintage Notes:
2023 was a challenging vintage in Bolgheri that, however, benefitted from Nature’s benevolence during key moments of the growing season. Winter was mild with relatively high temperatures and average rainfall that resulted in early plant growth. Spring brought abundant rainfall that helped fill up water reserves for the summer, but which also called for meticulous work in the vineyard. A hot summer saw high temperatures, albeit without 
reaching any extremes, alongside rains that helped offset water stress in the vineyards. This enabled the grapes to ripen gradually and regularly, allowing the berries to achieve high concentration.  Rainfall in late August and cool September nights helped aromatic complexity development and preserved the acidity of the wine, resulting in a proper balance between power and elegance. 

Vinification:
The clusters were hand-picked into 15 kg crates and then selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, and then softly crushed. In 2016, optical sorting has been introduced in addition to manual selection, to further increase the quality of selection. Each grape variety and single vineyard block were vinified separately. Fermentation took place in stainless steel and concrete tanks at temperatures between 26 and 30°C for one week, followed by maceration for about 15 days, for a total time in the vat of about three weeks. The malolactic fermentation took place mainly in oak barrels, 70% new and 30% used once. The wine then remained in barriques, in Ornellaia’s cellars for about 18 months. After the first 12 months of maturation, the wine was assembled and then returned to the barriques for an additional 6 months. After bottling, the wine was aged for a further 12 months prior to release.

Tasting Notes:
The wine is intensely hued, a deep, vibrant ruby red that instantly hints at its richness. The expressive nose conveys beguiling ripe blueberry and blackberry aromas, as well as other black fruits, accompanied by elegant, toasted almond and cocoa notes. Mediterranean shrub overtones emerge as the wine evolves in the glass, further accentuating a bouquet of rare complexity. Generous and mouth-filling, the palate is concentrated in addition to being surprisingly plush and delicate, underscored by a vitality that brings energy and momentum to the tasting experience. The body, while powerful, reveals softness, finesse and perfect balance. The wine has an enduring finish, sustained by silky, chiselled tannins that yield richness, flavour and a lasting persistency.  Ornellaia 2023 is the embodiment of an excellent vintage, authentically conveying the strength and harmony of a unique 
terroir. 

Ratings & Reviews

98 Points - Wine Advocate:
"The Ornellaia 2023 Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot, and it is worth noting that Merlot remains present at nearly the same percentage as previous years, despite the greater challenges faced by early-ripening varieties in this mildew-prone vintage. Careful fruit selection made the difference. The wine shows impressive richness and concentration with a bouquet that leans botanical and complex, marked by dark fruit, Mediterranean thyme and rosemary. The nose was slightly closed when I tasted the wine, but it will open. The texture is velvety and polished, delivering beautiful richness with a sense of succulence that feels expansive on the palate. According to proprietor Lamberto Frescobaldi, the goal is to establish a clear through line focused on freshness and balancing fruit and spice while avoiding excess ripeness. This is a meticulously made Ornellaia that captures the vintage with remarkable elegance. The wine was bottled in July 2025 and is scheduled for release in March 2026." - Monica Larner (Feb 2026)

97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"The 2023 Ornellaia, a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot, pours a deep, saturated purple/red hue and is incredibly detailed and layered. Aromas of cassis, violet, sandalwood, sage, leather, and fresh tobacco unfold with precision. Full-bodied, it is seamless and refined, with exceptional balance, creamy yet structured tannins, vibrant acidity, and a saline, mineral-driven finish. Notes of preserved black cherry and dark chocolate linger through the long, elegant close. This is a complete and compelling vintage with outstanding longevity. Drink 2026-2056." - Audrey Frick (May 2026)

96 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2023 Ornellaia is elegant and supremely finessed right out of the gate. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, dried herbs, licorice and lavender all meld together in the glass. There are no hard edges or awkward contours. Readers will find an Ornellaia that speaks to understatement and finesse more than power. This is impressive." - Antonio Galloni (Apr 2026)

96 Points - Decanter Magazine:
A surprisingly lightweight and finessed Ornellaia – the first full vintage under the watchful gaze of ex-Bordeaux winemaker Marco Balsimelli. Rose and violet fragrance introduces crunchy hedgerow berry flavours kissed by menthol, cardamom, black pepper and petrichor. Breezy-fresh and with good intensity, it's a slender, vertical shape in the mouth, with fine, slightly firm but ripe tannins and lipsmacking sapidity. Balsimelli notes that the sandy soils helped the plentiful spring rains to drain, and once past the threat of disease the water reserves proved useful for the hot summer. There was some rain in late August, while September featured cool nights, preserving aromatics and ensuring perfect ripening for all the estate's varieties. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. - James Button (Feb 2026)