Ornellaia
Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia 2020
Toscana Bianco IGT
Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia is one of Italy’s most innovative and progressive white wines, providing an altogether different experience of the Ornellaia estate and its Mediterranean influences.
Winemaking
The clusters were hand-picked into small 15 kg boxes in the early morning hours and immediately chilled on arrival at the cellar in order to fully preserve their aromatic compounds. After a meticulous quality selection, the whole clusters were given a very slow, gradual pressing, while great care was exercised to prevent oxidation of the fruit. After gravity settling of some 12 hours, the separate lots of must were put to barriques, 25% of which new and 25% used, in steel tanks and in concrete vats (50%). Fermentation temperatures did not exceed 22°C, and the wine did not go through malolactic fermentation. The wine matured on the fine lees for 6 months, with regular bâtonnage throughout the period, followed by the assemblage of the final blend. After a light fining, it rested an additional 12 months in the bottle before release.
Vintage
After a mild and rainy winter, there was a temporary drop in temperatures in March with a few nights below 0°C at the beginning of the budding in the last week of the month. Fortunately, the newly opened shoots were still protected by the cottony tissue of the bud and were not damaged by the frost. The rest of spring had generally warm weather with normal rainfall that ensured regular vegetative development until flowering, which took place on average between 20 and 25 May. There was an intense rainy period in the middle of June, followed by a very long dry period with a substantial absence of rain and torrid temperatures until the end of August. The veraison was homogeneous and rapid between 20 and 25 July, with the grapes beginning to ripen under a blazing sun. The harvest began even before mid-August, on August 13th with the bunches of “milleviti” Sauvignon to end on the 24th of the same month. This year was one of those rare occasions when the Viognier and Verdicchio were harvested at the same time, while the Vermentino was left to ripen until being harvested in the second week of September. The early harvest and the absence of marked water stress, thanks to the abundant rainfall in June, allowed the grapes to express a beautiful aromatic distinctiveness, in particular the Sauvignons.
Tasting Note
“With its classic bright straw-yellow colour, Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia 2020 expresses itself on the nose with a beautiful aromatic intensity: aromas of boxwood and white flowers, accompanied by notes of white peach, sage and aromatic herbs are all released once poured. The wine fills the palate with elegance and determination upon tasting, revealing the proper balance of acidic freshness and density. The finish is lively, persistent and with a nice tanginess.”
– WINEMAKER OLGA FUSARI
Color
White
Grape Varieties
Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, Viognier
Appellation
Toscana Bianco IGT
Alcohol
13%
Suggested Retail Price
$82
Reviews
"Great energy and focus"
Vinous - March 16, 2022 "A bright, aromatic white to drink now and over the next few years. White flowers, sage, mint, pear and citrus are all finely delineated. There’s great energy and focus. The Sauvignon Blanc is quite expressive in 2020." - AG 3/22
"Peach, apricot, white flowers"
Decanter - March 17, 2022 "Lovely refined aromas, elderflower, peach, apricot, some white flowers and gently bitter orange rind. I love the texture here, smooth and succulent, a very satisfying weight - bright with such aromatic intensity. Body and texture here, a good food wine, with acidity giving lemon and lime touches and a clarity left on the tongue towards the finish. Very appealing." - GH 3/22
"Crystalline luminosity"
Wine Advocate - May 13, 2022 "The Ornellaia 2020 Poggio alle Gazze dell'Ornellaia is a delightfully fresh and tonic white blend made primarily with Sauvignon Blanc supplemented by Vermentino and Viognier. It pours from the bottle with crystalline luminosity and displays a full range of varietal flavors from lime to lemon grass, white flower and acacia. Despite the hot growing season, the wine's acidity is vibrant and bright." -M.L 5/22
"Racy, yet integrated acidity"
Jeb Dunnuck - June 22, 2022 "The 2020 Poggio Alle Gazze Dell'Ornellaia is 69% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Vermentino, 5% Viognier, and the rest Verdicchio, and there are just 350 cases produced. It's a lively, vibrant white that brings solid richness and depth, with medium-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe lemon zest, melon, sappy green herbs, and a subtle, earthy, chalky mineral component that makes this more than a simple, refreshing white. Nicely concentrated, it has plenty of mid-palate flesh, bright, almost racy, yet integrated acidity, and a great finish. It's going to shine on the dinner table and is a seriously good white that I suspect will drink at point for another 3-4 years yet also have an interesting evolution beyond that. It's easily my favorite vintage of this cuvée to date."-J.D 6/22
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Trade Materials
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