ORNELLAIA 2005
- BOLGHERI DOC SUPERIORE
The desire to nurture the Estate’s exceptional qualities has shaped Ornellaia’s philosophy since the beginning.
Ornellaia is a cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot and the faithful expression
of unique terroir developed in harmony with nature.

WINEMAKER’S TASTING NOTES
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
“Born in a cooler than usual year, the aromatic complexity and freshness of the 2005 Ornellaia reflect the conditions of the
harvest. The delayed harvest allowed us to obtain perfectly ripe tannins that are soft and silky. Deep ruby red in colour, it
has an elegant, complex bouquet with red and black berry fruit supported by underlying hints of tobacco and spice. On the
palate the wine is full and enveloping, displaying a powerful, extremely elegant densely woven tannic structure that flows
into a long fruity finish with balsamic overtones.”
Axel Heinz - May 2008

THE 2005 GROWING SEASON
With the exception of a few especially cold days in February and March that delayed budbreak by a few days,
2005 began with a fairly mild winter followed by a Spring that was warm and sunny from the outset. Because
of this the vines flowered a week early, about 20 May for the precocious varietals. Vegetative vigour and
production potentials were perfectly balanced from the beginning. The amount of bunch thinning required
was therefore average for the season. June and July both did their duty: heat, sun, just a little rain. Perfect
conditions for the veraison to occur uniformly. Finally, during August the grapes ripened steadily, with constant
temperatures that never exceeded the seasonal average (32° C). A few rainfalls in mid-month contributed to the
optimal development of the bunches. At the end of August, the first analyses revealed extremely high
polyphenolic potentials, an indication of a great vintage. The harvest began on August 30 with the Merlot from
the younger vineyards, and was then repeatedly interrupted by showers, though the sea breezes quickly dried
the bunches, while, thanks to the expertise of the harvesters, the grapes delivered to the cellar were perfectly
sound. On 11 October the last Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard was picked, bringing the harvest to a close after
23 working days. The different varietals, vineyards, and parcels of land yielded 54 base wines, each an
expression of the great potential of the vintage.

VINIFICATION AND AGEING
The bunches were hand-picked into 15 kg bins, and the fruit was carefully graded and selected on a double
sorting table, before and after destemming. After a light crushing, each variety and vineyard block was vinified
separately. A week-long fermentation was carried out at 26-30°C in stainless steel, followed by a maceration of
18 days. Malolactic fermentation took place in oak barrels (70% new and 30% once used). The wine remained
in barriques in the temperature controlled cellars in Ornellaia for a total period of 18 months. After the first
12 months the master blend was made. The wine was then re-introduced into barrique where it spent the
remaining 6 months, followed by 12 months in the bottle prior to release.