The producer
Founded in the early 1980s by Lodovico Antinori, nephew of Sassicaia’s Mario Incisa della Roccheta. The first vintage to be released was the 1985. Initially favouring more Merlot (and to a lesser extent Cabernet Franc) it was a charmingly hedonistic and seductive wine, with a unique aromatic intensity, and which easily built its own reputation out of the shadow of Sassicaia.
Today the blend is Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese with a soupcon of Petit Verdot, and aged for around 24 months in mainly new French oak barriques. In 2002, Lodovico Antinori sold the estate to Robert Mondavi, who later sold a share to Frescobaldi, who today has full ownership of the property along also with sister property Masseto. Frecobaldi has been fine custodians and the wine’s reputation has only grown over the past twenty years.
The wine
‘Le Volte’ is Ornellaia’s third wine, and today has become a reference for high-quality yet easy-drinking Tuscan wine, in its own right. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sangiovese, Le Volte is aged partly in small French oak barrels – previously used for ageing Ornellaia – and partly in concrete vats, to give the perfect balance of convivial fruit forward appeal and a touch of complexity.