Ornellaia was one of the pioneers in making a Super Tuscan, and their flagship wine, Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore, was an immediate sensation. As often happens, Ornellaia produced a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, a spectacular Bolgheri Bordeaux blend in its own right. Le Volte dell’Ornellaia is considered the third wine, made from estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese from the same vineyards used to make Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore. A softer blend that is bottled a year earlier than its bigger brothers. Think of the pressure Le Volte must be under, being made by the same hands as its collectible big brothers, crafted in the same meticulous winery, aged in hand-me-down barrels that contained royalty. The resulting wine is an easier-drinking, opulent, and relaxed version that really shouldn’t be compared to its big brother because it appeals to the rest of us at one-tenth the price. The entry-level wine comes from a lofty lineage that, to paraphrase, Antonio Galloni is ‘somewhere between outstanding to just tremendous.’ 

Just four miles from the Mediterranean, Ornellaia’s original Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted by the legendary enologist André Tchelistcheff, who called the property “El Dorado.” Today, they’re tended by Olga Fusari, the protégé of Axel Heinz, who Galloni called “one of the world’s most in-demand winemakers.” Axel is leaving Ornellaia after 17 years to take the position of CEO of Château Lascombes in Bordeaux. Winemaker Olga Fusari was Heinz’s first intern when he started at the winery. Today, she is responsible for the bulk of the winemaking, including Le Volte.

Fusari blended the Merlot and Cabernet with Sangiovese from carefully selected sites, fermenting each variety separately. She and her team age the wine for ten months in barriques and cement tanks, maintaining a balance of tannic structure and bold fruit. The resulting wine is delicious right now yet can easily age for another seven years. It’s a chance to experience what makes Ornellaia a worldwide icon without paying the triple-digit price.

“The 2021 Le Volte dell’Ornellaia is one of the richest Le Voltes I can remember tasting.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Le Volte dell’Ornellaia is very popular as a restaurant wine for all the obvious reasons. Being listed as a wine from Ornellaia, its nobility, and quality are noted from the same winemaker and grapes sourced from the estate. With the addition of Sangiovese to the cepage, the wine is softer and drinkable early, making it suitable for a range of foods. That and it costs less, a lot less. The problem we have as a retailer is that our distributors need to fulfill the restaurant needs for Le Volte before they can offer the wine to us. The result is long periods when we, the retailer, cannot acquire this trendy wine, no matter how much our customers whine. But when the doors of distribution open up, we ponce on it, like now. 

The different varietals were fermented separately in small steel tanks to maintain their varietal characteristics. The alcoholic fermentation was followed by malolactic fermentation, again in steel tanks. The wine was then aged for 10 months, partly in barrique used previously for Ornellaia and partly in concrete tanks, to obtain the perfect balance between tannic structure and an expression of fresh fruit.

With its signature ruby red hue and purple tinges, Le Volte dell’Ornellaia displays lively red fruit aromas alongside light spiciness. The wine is well balanced across all components on the palate, blending smooth tannins with refreshing acidity that lends crunchiness to this enjoyable wine.

67% Merlot, 13% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.

A firm and silky wine with bark, berry, chocolate and light coffee aromas and flavors. Medium body. Creamy textured finish. Merlot with cabernet sauvignon and some montepulciano. Drinkable and fresh. James Suckling 92 pts

Shows expressive, succulent flavors of black currant, blackberry, cassis and lavender that need time to integrate with the firm, dusty tannins, some of which come from the oak. [...] Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. Wine Spectator 92 pts

The nose blends rich fruit notes of cherry, pomegranate, blood orange and raspberry with a woody, earthy, slightly herbal savoriness. The cherries and blood orange star on the palate, with the savory elements continuing to make themselves known before a closing kick of chili heat. Vibrant acidity bounces around chalky tannins. Wine Enthusiast 92 pts

The Ornellaia 2021 Le Volte dell’Ornellaia offers bright and youthful fruit with dark cherry, cassis, spice and red rose. This wine is composed of Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. You feel the acidity of the Italian grape and the rich fruit from the two French varietals. The wine is tonic and tight with mid-weight intensity. This is the entry-level red from one of Italy’s most iconic estates. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 91 pts

Le Volte, delle’Ornellaia 2021 

In gathering up my usual tasting group, I found most had very favorable memories of this wine in past vintages. In tasting the new vintage, we all remarked how drinkable the wine was and yet had the potential to age: dark ruby red, dark fruit aromas, and hints of mushroom and spice. On the palate, we found black-blue fleshy fruit, cranberry, coffee bean, chaga tea (mushroom), and hints of rosemary and bay leaf. Bright acids keep the fruit perky while still keeping the lush feel in the mouth. Fine chalky tannins with a long dark cherry finish. Polished and refined. Great with any meat dish or roasted vegetables. We all agreed this was an excellent versatile Italian red, ranking as a house favorite. A great wine to restock your private current drinking stash after that hit from the holidays and Santa's friends. Get this wine while you can before it goes back on restaurant hold.

Regular Price: $34.99

*Sale Price is on 6 or more bottles

Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case

*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.

We can hold wines in unpaid reserves for two weeks to allow you time to pick up your wine. If it takes you longer than that to pick up your wines, give us a call, and we can process your wine and move it to paid reserves.

Orders must be done by replying to this email. The reason is that I need to keep control of the inventory in one central spot. Emailing or calling your favorite wine geek at one of our four stores may not get your orders in on time to be counted or processed and this creates a helter-skelter for us to get you the wine. For the same reason, ordering on our online Web Store is linked to our regular price, and this sale price is only offered on the email platform. It is also why it takes me some time to respond due to the deluge of orders that I sometimes get. We haven't reached the efficiency or volume of Amazon yet. Thank you in advance for your patience.

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From our family at Yankee Spirits to your family and friends, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and an incredible New Year. Thank you for a fabulous 2023, and we look forward to serving you in 2024.

Cheers!

—John Hannum, Fine & Rare Wine Specialist

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