Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Ornellaia 2022
DOC

Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore

Ornellaia

Vintages 2023 2022 2021 2016 1996

Ornellaia is the flagship Bolgheri Superiore from the Frescobaldi estate at Castagneto Carducci, a Bordeaux blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Around 18 months in barrique gives black fruit, tobacco and a po

UK Market From £199.51 Found across 4 retailers
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Tasting Notes

What Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore tastes like

Black fruit, tobacco and vanilla over a powerful tannic frame, drawn from the producer's own notes and the consensus of nearly 60,000 Vivino reviews.

Tasted by
ItalianWines editorial
Tasted on
6 June 2026
Vintage in glass
2022
Source
Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
Taste profile
Body Light / Full
Tannins Smooth / Grippy
Sweetness Dry / Sweet
Acidity Soft / Crisp
Nose

Ornellaia leads with a deep, expressive bouquet of black fruit, the blackberry and cassis of its Cabernet-led blend lifted by vanilla and tobacco from up to 70 per cent new barrique. Across the 59,671 Vivino reviews the dominant descriptors are tobacco, cassis and a warm oak-spice note rather than primary fruit alone. The aromatics widen with air, gaining the cedar and dried-herb edge typical of mature Bolgheri.

BlackberryBlackberry
BlackcurrantBlackcurrant
PlumPlum
TobaccoTobacco
LeatherLeather
OakOak
Black pepperBlack pepper
VanillaVanilla
ChocolateChocolate
Palate

On the palate the wine is expansive and generous, as the Frescobaldi estate's own notes put it, with the 14.5 per cent alcohol carrying ripe plum, blackcurrant and dark chocolate. A powerful tannic structure sits at the centre, polished by around 18 months in oak yet still firm enough to demand food or cellar time. Drinkers consistently flag leather, smoke and liquorice as the savoury counterweight to the fruit.

Finish

The close is long, savoury and enduring, the marine-alluvial soils of Castagneto Carducci leaving a graphite and dried-tobacco trail. Oak-derived spice lingers behind the fruit rather than dominating it.

Overall

This is the flagship Bolgheri Superiore from the Ornellaia estate and one of Tuscany's benchmark Super Tuscans, rated 4.6 on Vivino across nearly 60,000 reviews with critic scores in the 94 to 98 range (Wine Advocate gave the 2016 a 98). It rewards a decade or more of cellaring; open it now only with a decanter and a substantial meat dish.

Live UK pricing

Buying Ornellaia: vintages and prices

Recent 750ml bottles from this Castagneto Carducci estate start around 200 pounds, with mature and magnum formats commanding more.

Best price · 75 cl £199.51 at 8wines
Price spread £199.51 – £1,006.00 Across 4 UK retailers tracked
Retailers tracked 4UK 6 in stock
Vintages live 2023 · 2022 · 2021 Current release: 2023
Per-litre (75 cl basis) £266.01 Per-litre price for the lowest current offer
Last checked 7 Jun 2026, 14:40 BST Refreshed once every 24 hours
Wine fit score

How Ornellaia scores for food, cellar and occasion

A structured, prestige Bolgheri Superiore that scores high for cellaring and special occasions and low for everyday value.

Best for an occasion 9.5/10

A benchmark Super Tuscan with critic scores in the mid-90s and clear prestige, made for milestone meals and gifting.

Best for cellar 9.2/10

Bolgheri Superiore mandates 24 months ageing with 12 in oak, and the firm tannin and 14.5 per cent alcohol carry the wine a decade or more.

Best with food 7.8/10

A full-bodied, Cabernet-led red with firm tannin pairs powerfully with grilled and braised red meat, though lower acidity than Sangiovese makes it less of an all-rounder.

Best value 3.8/10

At roughly 199 pounds the lowest live price sits well above the Bolgheri Superiore category median, fair for the prestige but a premium outlay.

Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.

Denomination Compliance Snapshot

Bolgheri in five fields

A compact view of what the Bolgheri denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.

Allowed grapes
4 varieties listed
This bottle: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot.
Minimum ageing
Recorded by producer
Disciplinare ageing rule not yet recorded.
Region / area
Tuscany
Style
DOC · Bolgheri
Classification
DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata)
What that means →
Retailer Shortlist

Where to Buy

Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.

Best Live Price £199.51
Retailers Tracked 4
Last Checked 7 Jun 2026
8wines logo

8wines

Best price In stock
Vintage 2022
£199.51
£266.01/L · checked 30 May
Visit retailer
75 cl · Low stock confidence
Decantalo logo

Decantalo

Awaiting restock
Vintage 2021
£208.91
£278.55/L · checked 7 Jun
Notify me
75 cl · Low stock confidence
Bbr logo

Bbr

In stock
Vintage 2022
£1,006.00
£335.33/L · checked 20 May
Visit retailer
300 cl · Case of 1 · Low stock confidence
Vintages

Ornellaia across the vintages

From the warm, elegant 2022 to mature bottles back to 1996, each Bolgheri Superiore release reflects its growing season on the Tuscan coast.

2023 Current release
Lowest price
£226.90
Retailers
1 in stock
Window
Drink now through 2043

A well-received recent release; Jane Anson awarded the 2023 a top score. Tightly wound on release, it needs several years before its Cabernet tannins unwind.

2022 Previous release
Lowest price
£199.51
Retailers
3 in stock
ABV
14.5%
Window
Drink now through 2042

A hot, dry growing season on the Bolgheri coast, yet the estate describes the 2022 as marked by elegance and vibrancy with a powerful tannic frame. Best from 2027 onward.

2021 Previous release
Lowest price
£208.91
Retailers
0 in stock · 1 awaiting restock
Window
Drink now through 2041

A classic, balanced Bolgheri season giving a fresh, age-worthy Ornellaia. Tannins are still youthful; give it cellar time toward the end of the decade.

2016 Previous release
Lowest price
£220.00
Retailers
1 in stock
Window
Drink now through 2040

A celebrated Tuscan vintage; Wine Advocate scored the 2016 Ornellaia 98 points. Deep and structured, it is drinking well now and will hold past 2035.

Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.

The disciplinare, the place, the label

Why Ornellaia sits among the top Super Tuscans

A Frescobaldi estate with critic scores in the 94 to 98 range, Wine Advocate rating the 2016 a 98, and a Vendemmia d'Artista label project each year.

01

DOC, DOCG, IGT: what the badges mean

Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.

Bolgheri is in the DOC tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.

02

The denomination rules, in detail

  • Allowed grapes. 4 varieties listed in the disciplinare
  • Tasting panel. No mandatory pre-release tasting
03

Region and area context

Bolgheri falls within Tuscany , covering Tuscany.

04

Reading the label

  • OrnellaiaProducer / estate
  • Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Cabernet Franc · Petit VerdotGrape varieties (in declared order of dominance)
  • Bolgheri DOCGeographic indication and quality tier
  • 2023Vintage (year of harvest)
  • Producer-declared ABV · 75 clAlcohol by volume and bottle size
  • Imbottigliato all’origineEstate-bottled
05

What sits behind the price of Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore

Tracked from
£199.51
Direction
Mostly cost up
Drivers
5 up / 1 down
Main factor
Estate prestige and demand at Castagneto Carducci
  1. 01

    Estate prestige and demand at Castagneto Carducci

    Cost up

    Ornellaia is a benchmark Super Tuscan from the Frescobaldi estate, rated 4.6 across nearly 60,000 Vivino reviews; that global demand is the biggest single lever pushing the UK price past 200 pounds.

  2. 02

    Up to 70 per cent new French barrique for around 18 months

    Cost up

    The wine ages roughly 18 months in barrique with up to 70 per cent new oak before a further year in bottle, a barrel and cellar programme far costlier than entry-level Bolgheri.

  3. 03

    Low-yield Cabernet-led blend, manual harvest

    Cost up

    Bolgheri Superiore caps yields at about 9 tonnes per hectare and the fruit is hand-picked and parcel-selected from sites such as Bellaria and Pero, concentrating cost into every bottle.

  4. 04

    Long mandated ageing before release

    Cost up

    Bolgheri Superiore requires at least 24 months ageing with 12 in oak, tying up capital and cellar space for years before the wine can be sold.

  5. 05

    UK alcohol duty and VAT

    Cost up

    At the 2026 still-wine rate of 2.67 pounds duty plus 20 per cent VAT, well over 35 pounds of a roughly 200-pound bottle is UK tax rather than wine.

  6. 06

    Wide UK availability of recent vintages

    Cost down

    Several UK merchants list the 2022 and 2023 alongside back vintages, so competition between retailers keeps the standard 750ml from drifting even higher.

Perfect Pairings

Dishes that complement this wine

Fiorentina steak, plated

Fiorentina steak
Brasato al Barolo on stoneware bowl with Bay Leaf, Beef Chuck, Carrot

Brasato al Barolo
Ossobuco alla Milanese on stoneware bowl with Beef Broth, Carrot, Celery

Ossobuco alla Milanese
Truffle risotto, plated

Truffle risotto
Pecorino sardo e pan carasau on stoneware bowl with Honey, Olive Oil, Pan Carasau

Pecorino sardo e pan carasau
Food Pairing

Cabernet tannin and Tuscan beef: what fits Ornellaia

Its firm tannin and 14.5 per cent alcohol want fat and char, from Fiorentina steak to braised veal and aged Pecorino.

Tannin softening Strong match

Charred Tuscan beef

Ornellaia's powerful Cabernet-led tannins need fat and char to soften. A rare Fiorentina steak coats the palate so the firm structure reads as polish rather than grip, while the wine's blackcurrant fruit answers the seared crust.

Try with: Fiorentina steak · Brasato al Barolo · Tagliata · More pairings →

Fat cutting Strong match

Slow-braised veal and pork

The 14.5 per cent alcohol and savoury tannin cut through gelatinous braised meat. Ossobuco alla Milanese and Porceddu carry enough richness to meet the wine's body, and its tobacco and leather notes echo the slow-cooked depth.

Try with: Ossobuco alla Milanese · Porceddu · Porchetta · More pairings →

Aromatic bridge Good match

Truffle and forest-floor dishes

Mature Bolgheri develops cedar and dried-herb aromatics that bridge to earthy white truffle. Truffle risotto and Tajarin al Tartufo meet the wine's tertiary side without fighting its oak.

Try with: Truffle risotto · Tajarin al Tartufo · Tagliatelle al tartufo · More pairings →

Salt balance Good match

Aged hard pecorino

A mature Pecorino Sardo brings salt and crystalline texture that lift the wine's dark fruit and tame its grip. The cheese's nutty depth matches the chocolate and oak-spice the Vivino crowd consistently names.

Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged Pecorino Toscano · Caciocavallo · More pairings →

Body matching Good match

Rich baked pasta

Layered ragu has the weight to stand up to a full-bodied Bolgheri Superiore. Lasagna and baked anelletti match the wine's body while their tomato and meat give the tannins something to grip.

Try with: Lasagna · Anelletti al forno · Pappardelle al cinghiale · More pairings →

Avoid Clash

Avoid chilli heat and delicate fish

The 14.5 per cent alcohol and assertive new-oak tannin amplify chilli burn and bury delicate flavours. Spicy or sweet-sour dishes and lean white fish leave the wine tasting hot and bitter rather than refined.

Skip with: vindaloo · sweet-and-sour pork · sushi · steamed sea bass · Pairing guide →

Drinking + cellar

Cellaring Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore

Bolgheri Superiore mandates 24 months ageing with 12 in oak, and a strong Ornellaia vintage rewards 15 to 25 years in the cellar.

Drinking window
2028 → 2043

Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.

Cellar potential
High

Bolgheri Superiore mandates 24 months ageing with 12 in oak, and the firm tannin and 14.5 per cent alcohol carry the wine a decade or more.

Buy now or wait?
Buy now

£199.51 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.

Sources & trust

Where these Ornellaia facts come from

Prices & stock

Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 14:40 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.

Confidence · High
Tasting notes

Drawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.

Confidence · Medium
Appellation rules & ageing

From the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.

Confidence · High
Why it costs what it costs

Our reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.

Confidence · Medium
Drink window & cellar potential

Style guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.

Confidence · Medium
Related

Explore Bolgheri, Cabernet Sauvignon and the Ornellaia estate

Producer
Ornellaia Tuscany
Grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Franc Petit Verdot
Denomination
Bolgheri DOC
Region
Tuscany Region guide
Cuisine
Italian Cuisine 5 dishes paired

Common Questions

It is a Bordeaux-style blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The exact proportions shift each vintage; the 2022 was roughly 55 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 per cent Merlot, 10 per cent Cabernet Franc and 10 per cent Petit Verdot.

Yes. Ornellaia is one of the benchmark Super Tuscans, made at Castagneto Carducci in the Bolgheri zone of coastal Tuscany from international grapes rather than the traditional Sangiovese, and bottled as Bolgheri Superiore DOC.

Comfortably 15 to 25 years for a strong vintage. Bolgheri Superiore requires at least 24 months ageing with 12 in oak, and Ornellaia's firm tannin and concentration reward a decade or more in the cellar.

Rich red meat is the natural match. Fiorentina steak, Ossobuco alla Milanese, Brasato al Barolo, truffle risotto and aged Pecorino all stand up to its full body and tannin. Avoid chilli heat and delicate white fish.

Recent vintages of the standard 750ml bottle typically run from around 200 pounds upward, with mature and large-format bottles costing more. Pricing reflects its status among the most sought-after wines of Bolgheri.

Around 14.5 per cent for recent vintages such as the 2022, reflecting the ripe, warm-climate fruit of coastal Bolgheri.

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Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore
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