2020 Ornellaia Bianco, Tuscany, Italy

The 2020 Ornellaia Bianco is bright, finely cut, dry white. Lime, white flowers, mint and white pepper are all beautifully delineated in this crisp white. I would give this at least a year or two in bottle, as the acids are pretty aggressive today, or several hours in a decanter, which will help soften the youthful edges.

There's quite a bit of news at Ornellaia and sister estate Masseto. Longtime Estate Manager Axel Heinz departed the wineries earlier this summer for his native Bordeaux, which opens a new chapter for both estates. “Two thousand-twenty was the last in a trio of vintages with more rain than usual and no drought, but quite a bit of heat during summer." Heinz explained. "Temperatures moderated in August, with the arrival of cool evenings. We picked quite a bit of Merlot early for the aromatics. Temperatures then rose markedly, leading to a week of rain, and then finally to good weather through to the end of harvest."

The 2020 wines strike me as quite aromatic in profile, with medium-bodied structures and a bit more restraint than is the norm. The 2021s, on the other hand, are more typical of Bolgheri. They possess notable textural resonance and volume, with fine-grained tannins and the exceptional balance of a great year.

Drink 2023 - 2027

The 2020 Ornellaia Bianco was produced entirely from Sauvignon Blanc for this vintage and was aged in 30% new oak for 10 months. It has generous and rounded notes of beeswax, guava, white flowers, grapefruit. On the palate, it is full, salty, and ripe with peach and mouthwatering citrus. It is crystalline in how salty it is and has a beautiful texture of crushed stones that is long-lasting and refined.

Drink 2026 - 2036

This wine that once featured Viognier in the blend, is now 100% Sauvignon Blanc. The 2020 Ornellaia Bianco is quite tropical and generous in personality with immediate aromas of papaya, Golden Delicious apple and crushed stone. The wine is beautifully textured and long lasting. I asked if Vermentino might ever feature in this blend to bring in a Tuscan grape), but the answer is no for now. Vermentino already plays a role in the estate’s very popular entry-level Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia. Viognier is being cut because the grape is difficult, and if you don’t hit the harvest date just right, it can appear flabby and waxy.

Drink 2023 - 2035

8,000 bottles produced, up from 4,000.

The last four vintages have seen Ornellaia Bianco become 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Pressed and fermented directly into oak barrels ranging from 225 to 600 litres 25% new), it's fermented then aged, with occasional battonage, for 10 months in oak before bottling. Delicate aromas of passionfruit, stone fruit, and a hint of wood spice lead to a creamy texture in the mouth with a good degree of fruit concentration. Zesty notes of lemon peel along with tart acidity give the wine backbone and structure. Drinking well now, but could age for another five to 10 years.

Drink 2023 - 2033

Creamy nose with quince, stones, sour cream and golden berries on the nose. Quite tangy, bone-dry and saline on the palate with impressive concentration and tension. Fresh, sleek and full-bodied with a long, zingy finish that lasts almost a minute. Saline and lightly creamy at the end.

Drink or hold

An expert rendition of soft power, this has depths to the expression of Sauvignon Blanc that you find in very few versions of this grape variety. Rippling with lemongrass, tomato leaf, sage, citrus, some riper fleshy fruits of apricot, nectarine and pineapple than in the 2019 vintage, clearly an impressive glass that has tension and grip. Winemaker Olga Fusari, director Axel Heinz.

Drink 2023 - 2032