In 2018, Ornellaia’s Vendemia d’Artista charity auction returned to the UK with a wonderfully lavish dinner at the Victoria & Albert museum. For me personally, the black tie event held added interest and excitement not only because they were pouring the excellent new release Ornellaia 2015, but especially because the chosen artist for the 2015 art labels was none other than South Africa’s greatest living artist, William Kentridge.

William Kentridge was invited to design 10 unique labels to adorn the Ornellaia Vendemia d’Artista labels, with profits raised at the evening’s charity auction going to the V&A museum this year.

William Kentridge on stage explaining his inspiration for the series of 10 works of art designed for Ornellaia 2015 Vendemia d’Artista.

Some of the William Kentridge works of art.

Ornellaia Winemaker Axel Heinz with Steven Spurrier.

Tenuta dell Ornellaia 2005, Bolgheri Superiore, Toscana, 14 Abv.

Deliciously expressive wine, complex, nuanced nose, so multi-faceted that it seems initially quite hard to describe all the multiple layers. A bit of coaxing yields sweet red cherry kirsch liquor, fennel, sweet black plum and hints of sweet tobacco and cedar spice. The palate is a plush, bright and very approachable style with great fleshy accessibility, opulence and harmonious pleasure. A very pretty expression that is certainly a true beauty and a lovely expression of Axel’s first vintage at Ornellaia.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Tenuta dell Ornellaia 2015, Bolgheri Superiore, Toscana, 14 Abv.

Intense broody dark fruited nose brimming with black cherry, crushed gravel and graphite spice. But the minerality of this superb, glamorous, opulent vintage does not outweigh or over power the incredibly intense perfume of lavender, violets and cherry blossom. The underlying note on the palate is dark fruited, powerful and structured with vibrant black tart cherry acidity, suave fleshy textural concentration and the most seductive, complex finish of pithy black cherry, liquorice stick, graphite and chalky tannin spice. A very serious effort, showing great generosity, power, intensity and gravitas. This has the credentials to age for 2 to 3 decades, and the potential to be a future Bolgheri Ornellaia legend.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)