Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2023

Ornellaia 2023, the depth of Bolgheri

Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2023 is a Tuscan red whose character comes through as much in the blend as in extended aging in French oak barrels. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot make up this wine from the Bolgheri Superiore DOC. I recommend it to those who are looking for a structured cuvée, marked by wood, without losing sight of the Mediterranean origin of its terroir.

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, in the heart of Bolgheri

The Tenuta dell’Ornellaia estate is located in Bolgheri, in the Maremma, on this stretch of the Tuscan coast sometimes called the Golden Coast. The cuvée is part of the winemaking history of the Frescobaldi family, which has been producing wine for more than seven centuries, since the 14th^e century. According to the source, the family's wines were appreciated at the English court under Henry VIII and at the Vatican: an old lineage, though that does not exempt each bottle from being judged on its own merits.

For the 2023 vintage, the grapes are hand-harvested at the moment deemed favorable to their aromatic potential, then sorted twice: upon arrival at the cellar and after destemming. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, between 26 and 30 °C, followed by a maceration of 10 to 15 days. The wine then goes into 225-liter French barriques. The sheet indicates 24 months of aging in barrel; it also describes malolactic fermentation in barrel, a blending after one year, then six additional months of aging and one year in bottle before release.

The sources do not give precise descriptors of aromas or color, so I prefer not to invent a fruity nose or a particular robe. They do, however, place the profile at 7 out of 9 for fruity-spicy, 7 out of 9 for oak-driven character and 7 out of 9 for body. These markers suggest a wine where the presence of wood and structure count, while still leaving a clear place for fruit. The cited ratings are 98/100 from Parker and 96/100 from Decanter.

At the table, with red meats

The pairing recommendation points toward red meats. You can serve it at a meal where the dish has enough presence to accompany a barrel-aged red, without trying to assign it a more precise pairing than the sources allow. Personally, I would choose it when you feel like opening a bottle of Bolgheri Superiore and taking the time to discover it at the table.