Ornellaia Le Serre Nuove 2019
Tasted blind, this was an intense wine, with a strong herbal aroma, dense tannins and a concentrated body.
Region: Tuscany · Type: Red · Vintage: 2019 · Producer: Ornellaia · Grape: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot
Tasted 2025-05-30
In the glass
The herbal aroma was close to the grassy note of Cabernet Franc, yet the first taste was sweet. Because of that sweetness I guessed it was a Merlot-based wine from Saint-Émilion. The tannins were dense, and the wine itself was concentrated.
Producer
The estate was established in 1981 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori. In 1999 Robert Mondavi bought it and sold half of the shares to Frescobaldi, and the two ran it together; it is now owned by the Frescobaldi family. Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia is the estate's second wine (second vin), made from the wine left after the selection for its flagship; it was first released with the 1997 vintage, and Ornellaia presents it as Italy's first second wine.
Site
The estate lies in Tuscany, Italy, between Bolgheri and the coast. The soil is marine, alluvial and volcanic in origin, and the vineyards are separated into dozens of parcels, each with its own identity and expression.
Vinification
This 2019 is Merlot 54%, Cabernet Sauvignon 28%, Cabernet Franc 14% and Petit Verdot 4%. Until 2002 the blend was 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot; after that, Merlot became the largest component, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, then Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Petit Verdot ripens late, which led many producers to abandon it in the 1960s and 70s, and it is slowly coming back in some quality-focused vineyards.