Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia’s main wine Ornellaia was the brainchild of Marchese Lodovico Antinori and winemaker Tibor Gál. The Antinori family run one of the oldest negotiant firms in Italy and Antinori’s cousin owns the adjacent property of Tenuta San Guido. The vineyards were originally planted in 1981 and the first vintage was produced in 1985 with the new winery being built in 1987.
In 1999 Robert Mondavi Winery, owner of Opus One amongst other wineries purchased a small stake in Ornellaia and by 2002 they had purchased the entire estate in conjunction with the Frescobaldis, a prominent noble family. Mondavi Winery had already been sold to Constellation Brands when, in 2005 the Frescobaldi family purchased the remaining 50% of the estate to assume full ownership.
The hugely famous consultant Michel Rolland has worked with the estate since its inception and in recent years Ornellaia has gained a reputation as one of the most consistent and desirable Super Tuscan. The rare (3,000 cases per year) 100% Merlot wine Called Masseto has helped cement the reputation of Tenuta Dell’Ornellaia.