Tenuta dell'Ornellaia - Ornellaia 1992, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

Introduction: The acid test in a difficult year

Ornellaia 1992 faced a particular historical challenge. It followed the celebrated 1990 and 1991 vintages and was produced in a year that was considered one of the most difficult and rainy of the decade in Tuscany . For a young winery like Ornellaia (founded in 1981), which had to build its reputation on consistently high quality, this was an enormous test. This wine is therefore not just a pleasure to drink, but a test of Bolgheri's craftsmanship, rigorous selection and terroir-based potential under adverse conditions. Opening a bottle today is an examination of its power to survive.

Sensory prognosis (with very good ageing)

Expectations of a 1992 Ornellaia must be strongly moderated due to the character of the vintage. The best bottles, which come from strictly selected grapes, can nevertheless show a ripe, elegant and surprisingly complex profile.

Colour

• A medium to pale garnet red with distinct brick-red to orange-coloured edges. The colour has probably matured more quickly than in stronger vintages.

Nose

If intact, the bouquet will be characterised bytertiary aromas and restrained fruit.

• Dominant: aromas of cedar, tobacco leaf, leather, damp forest floor and dried herbs.

• Ripe/dried fruit: A hint of preserved redcurrant, dried plum or cherry jelly.

• Vegetal & Spicy Notes: Truffle, tea leaf, allspice and a cool mineral or graphite note.

• Risk: The nose could also show signs of fatigue, over-oxidation (slightly sherried) or a thin flavour.

Palate

• Texture: A light to medium-bodied, silky texture is expected . The tannins should be fully integrated and soft.

• Acidity: The decisive criterion. 1992 was not an acidic vintage. If the acidity is still lively, it gives the wine stability and freshness. If it is exhausted, the wine appears flat and tired.

• Flavour: A delicate reflection of the nose: tobacco, leather, delicate red fruit and earthy spice.

• Finish: Probably medium-long with a dry, spicy aftertaste. A very long finish would be a pleasant surprise.

Vintage & production context

Vintage 1992 in Tuscany

• An extremely difficult, cool and very wet vintage. Continuous rain during flowering and before the harvest led to problems with rot, diluted juices and difficult ripening.

• Only wineries with the very best, well-drained sites and extremely strict selection ("green harvest", manual sorting) were able to harvest clean, concentrated grapes. The quantities were extremely small.

• The resulting wines are generally lighter, more elegant and mature earlier with moderate alcohol and less extract. Their longevity was questionable from the outset.

Ornellaia's response

• Ornellaia owns some of the best and best-drained plots in Bolgheri.

• It can be assumed that the selection wasextremely rigorous, possibly only a fraction of the harvested grapes were used for Ornellaia.

• The wine was probably blended with a higher proportion of Cabernet Franc and/or Merlot to emphasise elegance and accessibility, and with a careful use of new wood.

Drinking maturity, risk & classification

Current drinking maturity

The wine has reached every conceivable drinking maturity for a long timeand is at the very end of its possible life cycle. Now is the time of truth - either it shows surprising complexity or it is tired.

Critical risk factors

1. Weak vintage: The base was weak. Even the best selection can only compensate for this to a limited extent.

2. Storage: Over 30 years is an enormous hurdle for such a vintage. Only perfect storage offered a chance.

3. Fill level & cork: A low fill level would be a very bad sign.

Risk on opening

• Very high. The probability of finding a tired, overaged or thin wine is considerable.

• The chance of an elegant, complex and ready-to-drink surprise wine is low, but is possible if the provenance is excellent.

Recommendations & conclusion

Recommendation for the owner

1. Manage expectations: start from a historical object of study, not a typically opulent Ornellaia.

2. Treatment on opening (if daring):

   • Letbottle stand for a long time.

   • Open carefully and decant (for sediment separation only).

   • Taste immediately. Serving temperature: 16-17°C.

3. Recommended alternative: Preserve as a rare, unopened contemporary document of a difficult vintage from a great estate. The value lies in its curiosity and completeness for collectors.

Final conclusion

The Ornellaia 1992 is the underdog in the portfolio of a champion. It is not a wine that impresses through its power or opulence, but through what could be achieved under the most adverse conditions. Opening it is an act of curiosity and a test of ageing. At its best, it offers an elegant, almost Burgundian, tertiary drinking experience. At its worst, it is an expensive lesson in the inexorability of the vintage. For the collector, it's a fascinating piece of Ornellaia history - proof that even the greats can't win every vintage, but do their best to save it. A wine for historians and risk-taking explorers.