Urlari Ortus Solis 2023 | Italy

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WINE OVERVIEW

Ortus Solis is a wine nearly 20 years in the making. While it was always the dream of the estate to create a truly exceptional wine, they needed a couple of decades to truly understand their vineyards and the vines within them. Their patience was rewarded, and while it may take another 20 years for Ortus Solis to reach the iconic status of some of their neighbors, no one is in a hurry. The wine speaks for itself as an exciting new addition to a storied terroir.

Tasting Notes

A powerful wine on the attack but is balanced by incredible elegance on the finish. Notes of blackberry, cassis and dark chocolate spring from the glass. Ripe tannins give Ortus plenty of structure on the palate.

Food Pairing

This is a versatile wine, but one that needs cuisine that matches its power. Salumi, bistecca alla Fiorentina and roasts of all kinds make Ortus sing.

Tech Details

Vineyard Site Details: The vineyards are located in Riparbella on the Etruscan Coast of Tuscany, 12 miles north of Bolgheri and 4 miles from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The vines face east, catching the morning sun, while sea breezes from the west keep the grapes cool and fresh. Soils: The composition of the Urlari soil is uniform, approximately equal parts clay, sand and limestone. While they share almost exactly the same soil composition, Riparbella sits in the foothills around Bolgheri at a higher elevation. Fermentation: Ortus Solis is the only one of Urlari’s wines that is both fermented and aged in oak. It’s fermented in large oak vats outside the winery, because the barn that serves as the winery is too small to hold them. Punchdowns are done manually with large wooden oars and temperatures are controlled with cooling blankets when necessary. Aging: Aged 15 months in 100% new French oak barrels and followed by 24 months in the bottle. Roberto strongly believes that more there are diminishing returns on keeping wine in the barrel longer than that. Worth Knowing: Working backwards, compared to some of the more notable names in Bolgheri who followed the Bordeaux model, Urlari developed their top wine over many years. PerVale and L'Urlo are not "thirds" or "seconds," but rather the foundations on which Ortus Solis has been built.