Marco Balsimelli, a Tuscan native and seasoned winemaker with experience in Bordeaux, took over as head of winemaking at Ornellaia in 2024 and immediately faced the challenge of blending the estate’s 2022 vintage. Known as La Determinazione, the wine reflects the resilience of the team in overcoming a difficult growing season marked by heat, drought, and harvest-time humidity. The vintage saw reduced yields and required meticulous sorting, but the result was a powerful, concentrated wine. The final blend included more petit verdot for structure and aroma, less merlot for restraint, and maintained the usual levels of cabernet sauvignon and franc. Balsimelli, who favors elegance over excess, believes the shift toward fresher, more approachable wines aligns with both his personal taste and Ornellaia’s evolving style. Founded in 1981 and fully acquired by the Frescobaldi family in 2005, Ornellaia is one of Italy’s most iconic producers, famous for pioneering Bordeaux-style blends in Tuscany’s Bolgheri region. The estate includes a range of wines—Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove, Ornellaia Bianco, and Le Volte—as well as Masseto, a neighboring merlot-focused winery also overseen by Balsimelli. Emphasizing biodiversity and working with the natural landscape, Balsimelli highlights the unique setting of the estate, where vineyards coexist with olive groves and oak forests between the sea and hills. While the flagship Ornellaia commands $325 a bottle, wines like Le Serre Nuove and Le Volte offer compelling quality at more accessible price points, continuing the estate’s legacy of excellence across its portfolio. (ICE TORONTO)

Fonte notizia: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/article-one-of-italys-finest-winemakers-succeeds-