THE 2007 GROWING SEASON
40% Cabernet Sauvignon
40% Merlot
15% Cabernet Franc
5% Petit Verdot
2007 began with a very mild Winter, with less rainfall than usual. As a result bud break occurred about 10 days early. The Spring was mild, with rainfall at the right moments, which allowed excellent vegetative growth and led the vines to blossom early. June rains, which occurred throughout Tuscany, accompanied the development of the grapes. Summer finally started with a July, which was hot and dry, followed by an August which was cooler, with classic mid-month thunderstorms that slowed the ripening of the grapes, bringing the projected harvest date back to normal. A perfect September with brilliant sun, mild temperatures, and little rain permitted a perfectly slow, steady ripening of the grapes, which concentrated the aromatic & polyphenolic content, with no traces of over-ripening.
VINIFICATION AND AGEING
The grapes were handpicked into 15 kg baskets; the bunches were graded and selected by hand on a double sorting table, before and after destemming, and finally soft-pressed. Each varietal and single vineyard block was vinified separately. The primary fermentation, in stainless steel tanks at temperatures between 26 and 30° C for a week, was followed by 10-15 days of maceration on the skins. The malolactic fermentation, which began in the steel tanks, finished after the wine was racked into barriques (25% new and 75% a year old). The wine remained in barriques in Tenuta dell’Ornellaia’s temperature-controlled cellars for about 15 months. After the first 12 months the wine was assembled, and then returned to the barriques for an additional three months of aging. After bottling, the wine aged a further 6 months prior to release.
WINEMAKER’S TASTING NOTES
“2007 was a sunny vintage, and in spite of the relatively low temperatures, the grapes ripened perfectly, preserving their complexity and aromatic freshness. Intense in colour, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia 2007 presents a complex nose, with intense red berry fruit, sweet spices, and balsamic mint and eucalyptus accents. Ample and silky on the palate, it displays an elegant, vibrant tannic structure, and fresh sweet fruit with intense minty accents.”
Axel Heinz – September 2009
RATINGS
Wine Advocate 92
Wine Spectator 92
James Suckling 91
Antonio Galloni 92
Falstaff 94
