Ornellaia Bianco 2019 1.5L Magnum

So sophisticated and elegant, a brilliant expression of Sauvignon Blanc with smoky, stone, lemon aromas alongside pear and green apple - aromatic and so open. Excellent mouthfeel, there's such a lovely weight, slightly viscous with a hint of sweetness but then you get this clarity and complexity from clear aromatics but also the freshness. Nothing is too much, each part playing out in terms of weight, structure, acidity and length. It's the succulence then at the same time the salinity that captivated me, the two playing against each other with the support from plumped up and cushioned fruit giving the overall weight. Really lovely - a treat to taste. Drinking Window 2024 - 2036.

The 2019 Ornellaia Bianco (81% Sauvignon and 19% Viognier) is a more racy, steely wine that doesn't have the generosity of the 2018, yet it stays tight, compact, and vibrant, with lemon zest, chalky mineral, honeysuckle, and hints of grapefruit. Medium-bodied on the palate, it's another concentrated, beautifully balanced white from this team that has great acidity, a balanced, classy mouthfeel, and one heck of a great finish. While the 2018 shows its Viognier component, it's almost impossible to see here, even though it's a larger component. Give bottles a year or so and it should keep for over a decade.

Lots of sweat pear and ripe green apple on the nose with some lemon grass and green melon. Medium-to full-bodied with a solid core of fruit that is tight and focused. Stone and dried-flower undertones to it. Vivid, lemony finish. Serious phenolic tension and framing to the wine. Drinkable now, but will age beautifully in time.

Made with 81% Sauvignon Blanc and 19% Viognier, the Ornellaia 2019 Ornellaia Bianco is fragrant and fresh, but the wine also shows a rather robust side with extra concentration. This is a hallmark of the vintage, and you even notice it in the distinctive light golden hue that shines prettily from the glass. To the nose, the wine displays a summery set of aromas with stone fruit, ripe peach, midnight jasmine and a touch of fragrant beeswax. There is some density to the otherwise streamlined mouthfeel, with white almond flavors on the close and an elegant touch of crushed stone or chalk. This 2019 vintage is poised for more years of bottle age.
Rating: 94+