LE SERRE NUOVE 2nd wine of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2023 Bottle

Description

Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2023 is an exemplary second wine that showcases the estate's signature style, crafted from the same varietals and philosophy as the flagship wine. This vintage presents a deep ruby red colour with a purple rim, underscoring its youth and concentration. Aromas of ripe forest fruits and cherries dominate the nose, interwoven with subtle spice notes. The palate features polished tannins and a harmonious body, supported by vibrant freshness, creating a delightful balance of power and elegance. James Suckling awarded it 95 points, praising its gentle and elegant character, with nuances of spices, milk chocolate, and dark fruit. Vinous rated it 93 points, highlighting its floral notes and silky finish, making it a compelling choice for immediate enjoyment or future aging.

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Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is a prestigious winery located in the Bolgheri region of Tuscany, Italy. Founded in 1981 by Lodovico Antinori, the estate has rapidly gained recognition for producing some of Italy's finest wines, particularly its iconic Super Tuscans. The estate spans approximately 100 hectares, with around 60 hectares planted with vines, predominantly featuring Bordeaux grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is celebrated for its flagship wine, Ornellaia, a blend that epitomizes the estate's commitment to quality and excellence. Marked by its rich fruit flavours, complexity, and elegance, Ornellaia has received numerous accolades and high scores from wine critics around the world. The estate also produces a second wine, Le Serre Nuove, and a white wine named Poggio alle Gazze.

The landscape of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia benefits from a unique microclimate, combining the Mediterranean sea breeze with well-drained soils, which contribute to the grapes' exceptional quality. The winery practices sustainable viticulture and employs traditional winemaking techniques, including careful hand-harvesting and aging in French oak barrels.

With a focus on both tradition and innovation, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia has established itself as a leading producer in Tuscany, appealing to wine enthusiasts and collectors seeking luxurious and expressive examples of the region.

Crafted from the same varieties, under the same sky, with the same philosophy: Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia is a proud second wine, which has the ability to foretell the personality of the estate’s flagship wine. Together, the wines provide their own distinctive points of view. The pleasure of sipping Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia evolves over time, adding the charm of maturity to the vigour of youth.

The grapes were handpicked into 15 kg baskets. The bunches were selected by hand on a double sorting table before and after de-stemming, then finally soft-pressed. In addition to handpicking, we introduced optical selection in 2016 in order to further increase the quality of berry selection. Each variety and each parcel of land was vinified separately. The alcoholic fermentation took place partly in stainless steel tanks and partly in concrete vats at temperatures between 22-28°C for two weeks, followed by maceration for a total of about 10-15 days. The malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel after which the wines were racked into barriques (25% new and 75% used once). The wine remained in barriques in Ornellaia’s cellars for about 15 months. After the first 12 months the wine was blended and then returned to the barriques for an additional three months of ageing. The wine then remained in the bottle for another six months prior to release.

Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2023 displays a deep ruby red hue with a purple rim that emphasise the youth and concentration of the wine. Ripe fruits of the forest and cherries stand out clearly among the aromas, interwoven with discreet spice notes, which are typical of the ripeness of our grapes. Polished tannins make their presence felt on the palate, underpinned by a harmonious body that is perfectly balanced by an upbeat freshness. The poise between power and flow provides an easy-drinking and engaging wine, which promises to evolve over time, although it is ready to be enjoyed now.

JAMES SUCKLING 95 points
A gentle and elegant wine with aromas of spices, milk chocolate, vanilla, milk, mint, graphite and dark fruit. Silky and velvety on the palate, with ripe tannins, crisp acidity, a full body, clove flavors and amazing complexity. Drink or hold.

VINOUS 93 points
Drinking Window 2025 - 2035
From: 2025 Tuscany Preview (Feb 2025)
The 2023 Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia is a delight. Crushed flowers, ripe red cherry fruit, spice, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco are all nicely laced together. This mid-weight Serre Nuove is notable for its forward fruit, mid-weight structure and overall appeal. Floral top notes extend the effortless, silky finish. - By Antonio Galloni on February 2025