NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Ornellaia, one of the world's iconic wine estates, is excited to reveal the unique character of Ornellaia 2018 and announce the artist chosen to interpret this character for the 13th edition of the estate's Vendemmia d'Artista project.
"The 2018 vintage resulted in wines of particular harmony," comments Axel Heinz, Estate Director of the Bolgheri winery. "Synergy and interaction among the varied terroirs on the estate created proportion and complexity. The outcome is a rounded and silky wine in which all the elements blend together in an expression of grace and beauty." In tribute to this sense of proportion and symmetry, Axel Heinz has called the character of Ornellaia 2018 "La Grazia".
Belgian artist Jan Fabre was called upon to interpret this trait in his role as an eclectic and innovative figure on the international art scene. Continually seeking convergences across a range of disciplines, Fabre offers an original and personal interpretation of visual art, taking cues from theatre, literature and the world of symbolism.
Ornellaia 2018 "La Grazia" is the expression of a perfectly balanced vintage. After unusually hot, dry seasons, the earth finally received the rainfall and winter cold needed to rest and reset the vine's lifecycle. The spring enjoyed occasional showers, which renewed the protective layer of the vineyard, while the summer proved dry, encouraging fruit set and culminating in veraison on clear, sunny days in late July. Healthy grapes benefitting from a superb balance of acidity and sugars were harvested between August 31 and October 8.
Taking inspiration from Ornellaia 2018 "La Grazia" as a "divine gift of nature and a balance of symmetry and proportion," Jan Fabre used his trademark style and coral, the precious golden red of the Gulf of Naples, for the sculptures that top three Salmanazars (9 liters): A Candle of Mercy, The Crown of Kindness, and The Heart of Virtue. "I believe that art should conciliate ethical values and aesthetic principles," explains the Belgian artist. "For this reason, I decided to use forms such as the heart, crown, candle and wings in the sculptures for Ornellaia 2018. These are symbols of passion, virtue and purity, which come alive by means of twigs and red coral pearls; in "A Candle of Mercy" or "The Heart of Virtue" they liquefy, like the melting grace of Ornellaia wine."
In addition to the coral artworks for the 111 precious large formats of Ornellaia, Jan Fabre has also designed a special label for the 750ml bottles and a site-specific installation for the winery's dining room Orciaia: a set of drawings inspired by the sculptures and their symbolism.
Accompanied by the other large formats, only one of the three Salmanazars of Ornellaia 2018 "La Grazia", "The Crown of Kindness", will be auctioned by Sotheby's in September 2021. Collectors around the world will be able to place bids online on the lots and have their purchases delivered directly from the evocative Bolgheri winery.
For the third consecutive year, profits will be given to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation's "Mind's Eye" project.
Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Sotheby's Wine says: "This is our 13th partnership with Ornellaia for their annual Vendemmia d'Artista project, which is so special to us because it supports worthy artistic causes and combines the brilliance of the estate's wines with the visual ingenuity of the artists who take part. With its emphasis on the senses, the Mind's Eye project has been the ideal beneficiary these past three years. We look forward to offering a range of bottles from the 2018 vintage "La Grazia", illustrated by Jan Fabre, in our online sale later this year, headlined, as ever, by a unique Salmanazar. As in previous years, we expect the lots to attract an international group of bidders who wish to purchase these exclusive bottles and enjoy unique experiences."
The profits made by Vendemmia d'Artista allow the Mind's Eye program to be extended both on site at the Guggenheim as well as online and ensure that its excellence continues to guide museum programming in different parts of the world.
"With the continued support of Ornellaia, the Guggenheim has been able to amplify the reach and resonance of our Mind's Eye program," said Richard Armstrong, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. "Ornellaia has helped us remain connected to our visitors through increased access programming and the creation of a new digital sensory guide that shares the experience of being at the museum with an ever-widening global audience. We speak for the many beneficiaries of Ornellaia's generosity in expressing real gratitude."
Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja, CEO of the Bolgheri winery says: "Since the introduction of the Vendemmia d'Artista project in 2009, we have donated more than 2 million euros. It is deeply rewarding to see the program develop and know that the work we are doing gives the blind and persons with low vision an opportunity to discover contemporary art through the use of the senses. At the same time, the Mind's Eye program will soon offer the possibility to extend the same model not only to other museums belonging to the Guggenheim Foundation, but also to art institutions in the rest of the world, thereby making art accessible to even more people."
About Ornellaia - http://www.ornellaia.com
Ornellaia's philosophy considers the birth of the wines to be the truest expression of their terroir. The grapes for Ornellaia are selected by hand, and picked in the estate's vineyards in Bolgheri, on the Tuscan coast. The varying natures of the estate's terroirs, marine, alluvial and volcanic, are ideal for the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The Estate extends over 115 hectares along the Tuscan coast, just a short distance from the medieval hamlet of Bolgheri and the famed cypress-lined avenue 'Viale dei Cipressi'. The constant work of the Ornellaia team and the ideal microclimatic and geological characteristics have brought the wines great international success since the first vintage of Ornellaia in 1985. In 2001, the 1998 Ornellaia was declared Wine of the Year by the American journal Wine Spectator. In 2011 the German publication Der Feinschmecker awarded Ornellaia its most sought-after award, the 'Weinlegende'. Ornellaia has received considerable recognition in the national and international press, and is consistently ranked among the top estates by Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, James Suckling, Antonio Galloni, Bruce Sanderson and the Italian Wine Guides: Gambero Rosso, Espresso, and Veronelli
About Vendemmia d'Artista
The Ornellaia Vendemmia d'Artista project celebrates the exclusive character of every new vintage of Ornellaia. Every year, starting with the release of Ornellaia 2006 in May 2009, a contemporary artist crafts a site-specific artwork and a set of limited-edition labels, inspired by a word chosen by the Estate Director, Axel Heinz, to describe the personality of the new vintage.
A label styled by the artist features on one of the six 750ml bottles in every case of Ornellaia. As in previous years, the project includes a limited edition of 111 large-format bottles (100 Jeroboams - 3 liters, 10 Imperials - 6 liters and 1 Salmanazar - 9 liters) which are numbered and signed personally by the artist. Every year, a selection of these bottles is auctioned by Sotheby's and the profits go to support the Mind's Eye program at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
About the "Mind's Eye" program
The "Mind's Eye" program, created by Guggenheim's Education Department, assists visitors who are blind or have low vision in experiencing art by using all the senses. This approach promotes the development of creative impressions, emotional connections and memories, whose perception endures over time. As in art, the appreciation of fine wine requires the involvement of all the senses. It was this shared idea that resulted in Ornellaia lending its support to develop this particular program. Donations collected through Ornellaia Vendemmia d'Artista project enable the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation to further the activities of the "Mind's Eye" program aimed at distributing the model in other art institutions, ensuring that its excellence continues to guide the museum programming for the benefit of the blind and persons with low vision all over the world.
Media Contact
Erin Healy, Colangelo & Partners, 646.561.2248, [email protected]
SOURCE Ornellaia
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