2007 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Le Volte Sangiovese Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon

A couple of decades ago, Australians were slowly becoming acquainted with basket Chianti and Spumante as inexpensive but lower-quality alternatives to French wines. The range and quality of Italian wines has since shifted away from bulk wine, yet many remain ignorant of the vast and diverse Italian vineyards that produce roughly twenty percent of the world's total yearly wine output. Why is this situation only just beginning to change?

The last three decades of creative ferment and serious commitment to quality have transformed the Italian wine scene - perhaps no more so than in Tuscany, where the famous serpentine countryside has made the Sangiovese grape famous. Sun drenched slopes at altitudes between 150m and 500m above sea level ensure consistent ripening while significant day / night (diurnal) temperature variations further contribute to the wine's quality. The Tuscan renaissance stems from the 1970's, when in an attempt to give more body, intensity and longevity to Tuscan red wines, non Italian grape varieties were introduced into traditional blends and small oak barrels, principally of French origin, were employed for their maturation (a radical break with the local practice of using large casks of East European oak). Apart from marking a movement towards a more 'international' wine style, these innovations were also the vigneron's way of subverting the Italian appellation system, while proving that world class wines could be made using 'unofficial' varietals and techniques. The quality guarantee of these producers now resides in their dedication to excellence, rather than in a somewhat misguided appellation system which continues to bare the brunt of considerable criticism. Produced from a blend of 51% Sangiovese, 34% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and matured for 10 months in older oak barrels (2-4 years old). Very deep crimson purple colour with crimson mauve hue. Aromas of dark cherry, violets, cedar and spice with some earth undertones – a delightful refined sniff. Medium weight displaying elegance with flavours of dark cherry, blackcurrant, cedar and spice, with some earth notes on the finish that add complexity. Fine grained dryish tannins but balanced. Aftertaste of dark cherry, spice and cedar.
Cellar 4-5 years (2013-2014)
13.5% Alc