Italy · Tuscany

Ornellaia

Ornellaia is one of Italy's most celebrated Super Tuscan estates, producing Bordeaux-inspired wines from the Bolgheri coast that have established it as one of the world's great wine estates. The estate was founded in 1981 by Lodovico Antinori, younger brother of Piero, on land in Bolgheri adjacent to Sassicaia. The Ornellaia blend — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot — achieved immediate critical acclaim with the first commercial vintage in 1985, and Masseto — the estate's pure Merlot wine from a specific clay-rich plot — emerged as one of Italy's most sought-after cult wines. The estate was acquired by the Frescobaldi family in 2005 (with a minority stake held by Mondavi and Constellation at various times). Both Ornellaia and Masseto are now separate entities. The wines are made in a modern, precise style that honours Bordeaux influence while expressing the distinctive character of Bolgheri's coastal terroir. At auction, Ornellaia is one of Italy's most actively traded wines, with great vintages such as 2001, 2004, 2009, 2012, and 2016 commanding prices that rival top Bordeaux.