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'Fraxinus Ornus' is the Latin name for the Manna Ash. Ornellaia owes its name to this ancient Mediterranean plant and
this sweet wine is also dedicated to her, the fruit of the late harvest of a very small vineyard. Time, experience
and meditation.
After a mild and rainy winter, March saw a temporary drop in temperatures with some
night below 0°C just at the beginning of budding, in the last week of the month. The newly bloomed buds
were however still protected by the cottony tissue of the bud, which helped to avoid damage from frost. The rest
spring saw generally warm weather with normal rainfall, ensuring a regular
vegetative development until flowering which occurred between 20th and 25th May. In June a rainy period of
great intensity towards the middle of the month was followed by a very long period of drought with substantial
no rain and scorching temperatures until the end of August. The veraison took place in a homogeneous and fast way
between July 20th and 25th, starting the ripening of the grapes under a burning sun.
The Petit Manseng harvest took place in the first ten days of October, in two consecutive passes aimed at
select only the perfectly dried portions of the bunch.
“Ornus dell'Ornellaia is inspired by a passion for our territory and a desire to explore its potential to produce great sweet appassimento wines, favored by the mild and particularly breezy season typical of the Bolgheri autumn. Ornus dell'Ornellaia 2020 presents itself in the glass with the classic golden yellow color that characterizes it. The nose is intense and complex: sweet aromas of honey and quince are accompanied by typical notes of dried apricot. On the palate it shows off a citrus profile and a sensation of freshness that give verticality and pleasantness to the sip."
Olga Fusari – Winemaker – December 2022
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