2016 Le Serre Nuove dell' Ornellaia 2016 6000ml

“Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2016 is the result of an exceptional vintage in Bolgheri. The wine is intensely coloured and displays ripe red fruit and spice aromas. Plush tannins resonate on the palate. The vintage combines immediate enjoyment and an extraordinary ageing ability.” Axel Heinz – Estate Director - May 2018

“Le Serre Nuove dell’ Ornellaia 2016 benefits again from an exceptional vintage that highlights all the features of Bolgheri’s exceptional climate. Dark in colour, the wine shows a charming nose of perfectly ripe red fruit and spices. The palate is rich and well-rounded with beautiful velvety-textured tannins that coat the palate. A wine that combines immediate pleasure and great ageing capacity”
Axel Heinz - Estate Director - May 2018
 

THE 2016GROWING SEASON
As what seems to be becoming increasingly the norm, the winter of 2016 was characterized by abnormally warm weather with heavy rainfall in February. Budbreak took place on time in the last week of March. The abundance of water in the soil and the warm weather in April led to quick and normal vegetative vine growth. Towards May temperatures returned to normal, slowing the growth down slightly, bringing about the flowering which took place in the last week of May with dry sunny weather, perfect for a good fruit-set. The summer was average with very little rain favouring a notable water stress towards the end of the ripening stage. The usual August holiday period storms were also absent, maintaining a state of hydric stress through the first part of the harvest, but luckily with temperatures that significantly cooled off at night, allowing the vines to recover from the daytime temperatures. Ripening went on steadily building up excellent phenolic potential and a balanced sugar/acidity ratio. Harvest started early on the 24th August with young vine Merlot. By mid- September a few rain showers arrived, that allowed to complete harvest under virtually perfect conditions, sunny, but moderately warm, and enough water in the soil to prevent the vines from shutting down. Harvest was concluded on the 12th of October with the last Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
 

VINIFICATION AND AGEING
The clusters were hand-picked into 15-kg boxes and then selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after de-stemming, and finally gently crushed. Each variety and each parcel was vinified separately. Alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel, at temperatures of between 26° and 30°C for two weeks followed by maceration of around 10-15 days. Malolactic fermentation was started in stainless steel, and completed after transfer to barrels (25% new and 75% a year old). The wine remained in Ornellaia’s temperature-controlled cellar for a further 15 months. It was assembled after the first 12 months and then reintroduced in the barrels for a further 3 months. After bottling, it was aged for an additional six months prior to release.