From Cameroon to Bolgheri, passing through the world: Pascale Marthine Tayou narrates Ornellaia

Concentric circles, composed of a series of signs of different colors that represent the energy sprung from the union of multiple components when they merge into a harmonious whole: this is the work of internationally renowned Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou, chosen to narrate “Determination”, the character chosen to describe the 2022 vintage of Ornellaia, one of the great wines born in the Bolgheri territory, from the estate owned by the Frescobaldi Group, in edition No. 17 of the “Vendemmia d’Artista” project. A name that joins those of Marinella Senatore, Joseph Kosuth, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg, Tomàs Saraceno, William Kentridge, Ernesto Neto, Michelangelo Pistoletto and Luigi Ontani, to name but a few of those involved, over the years (many of them directed by Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja, ed.) in one of the most concrete and long-lived wine patronage projects, which, to date, thanks in part to special formats auctioned, has supported projects and art foundations around the world, to which it has donated, in total, more than $2.8 million (awaiting further details on the future of the project, in this regard, ed.).
A vintage, the 2022, “that saw both the technical team and the vines, confronted with a year of significant climatic contrasts. The result was a wine that is a representation of resilience, rich in nuance and at the same time a full expression of the winery’s style”, a note explains. “This vintage is marked by the right concentration and a strong character”, commented Marco Balsimelli, Ornellaia technical director. “One can perceive all the positive influences of the sun along with a convincing freshness. This climatic trend has been best interpreted by Petit Verdot, which, in fact, is present in the blend in a slightly higher percentage this year. Ornellaia 2022, with its straight expression, demonstrates once again, vivacity and elegance characteristic of the terroir we have here at Ornellaia”.
Ornellaia 2022 will debut on the Italian market on April 1, and in each case of 6 0.75lt bottles, one bottle will be dressed with a special label signed by the artist. Who, moreover, has already had frequent contacts with the wine world, with works or collaborations for Castello di Ama and Tenuta Casenuove, in Chianti Classico, Monterossa, in Franciacorta, and Ruinart, in Champagne (for the Carte Blanche 2024 - Conversations with Nature project), to name a few. An artist, the Cameroonian, whose work is characterized by a wide variety of techniques used, with works mixing cultures, telling the story of the relationship between man and nature, and always linked to the idea of travel, which characterizes his life as a “citizen of the global village”. And what a signature, then, this latest vintage of Ornellaia, one of the fine wines symbolic of Italian wine, and among the great standard bearers of a segment of the wine market in which nothing is taken for granted, as Lamberto Frescobaldi tells WineNews: “for so many years we were told that fine wines would always do well, and everyone tried to move toward that world there. But that’s not so much true, fine wines are also having difficulties. Of course, it depends from area to area, also on the pedigree of the wine: if a label has been recognized as high profile for many years, it is more likely to do well today. In an age when no segment of wine is immune to difficulties, and with value for money it’s becoming a very important thing again”.