“Solare” is the character given to Ornellaia 2017 vintage, portrayed by the artist Tomás Saraceno

“Solare” is the unique character of Ornellaia vintage 2017 that the visionary artist Tomás Saraceno has immortalized on the label. The artist was chosen for “Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista” edition number 12 and is internationally renowned for his interactive installations that offer, in this era of ecological turmoil, new sustainable ways of life and living on our planet. Ornellaia, one of the most famous Italian wine brands, created the project, which to date has distributed the sum of over 2 million euros to museums and cultural institutions around the world. The label depicts a series of unique works inspired by the sun, the primary source of energy and life, but also by the relationship between man and nature.
“It is quite difficult to not describe the 2017 vintage as extreme, during which frost, sun and drought played significant roles. Even though the vintage has definitely put the team and we enologists to the test, I am very satisfied with the high quality and character of our wine. Consequently, I decided to call the unique character of Ornellaia 2017 “Solare””, explained Axel Heinz, director of the Bolgheri Estate. “Protecting the year’s strong and convincing personality throughout the entire process was absolutely fundamental. And, in fact, the cautious delicate method used in managing the grapes, coupled with a slightly early harvest, brought to light a wine of surprising harmony in which the aromas of black berries and licorice dominate together with the velvet tannins typical of hot vintages. At the same time, though, its encompassing feeling and acidity give it the typical Mediterranean luxuriousness”. That is why this edition of “Vendemmia d’Artista” looks deeply into the relationship between man, Earth and the environment.
“The Bolgheri Estate has adopted the concept of environmental sustainability for quite a long time, because an ecosystem of synergy that is also capable of self-regulation is essential to increase the expression of the individual vineyard and allow the terroir to develop in a natural and genuine way. Sustainable viticulture intended as the conservation and enrichment of the territory and landscape is a key element in Ornellaia’s production philosophy, which has reduced interventions to a minimum in favor of developing the spontaneous buffer capacity of natural systems. For example, precision viticulture, which responds to the real needs of each individual plot, and adopting low-impact defense systems capable of stimulating the natural response of the plants, is preferred”.
Tomás Saraceno drew inspiration from the relationship between the sun and inhabited life systems, in an invitation to the practice of care and renewed attention to the most important source of energy on our planet, the sun, to create his “Vendemmia d’Artista” for Ornellaia 2017. The work he designed for the Salmanazar of Ornellaia 2017 Solare is the evolution of the same concept. “PNEUMA 4.21x105” is reminiscent of an atomic structure, composed of glass spheres that resemble a floating city similar to clouds, whose shape and size is constantly changing, thereby changing the traditional concepts of borders and territories. The suspended sculpture recalls forms that, as Saraceno imagines, could be able to float even thanks to solar heating, without fossil fuels.
In addition to the Salmanazar, the Argentinian artist has personalized another 110 large format bottles and designed a special thermo chromic label upon which he invites us to reflect on the impact our actions have on the planet.
All the large formats, just like every year, will then be sold and auctioned by Sotheby's, to then go to the cellars of the lucky collectors, while the profits will be donated to support the “Mind’s Eye” project, created by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. The offer will start on the Sotheby's website on April 30th, during an evening at the Solomon R. Museum in New York at the annual event organized by Ornellaia for the Vendemmia d'Artista project, while the online auction will close on May 15th, when the amount to be donated to the Mind’s Eye program will be announced.
“Sotheby’s Wine is pleased to continue the long-term partnership with Ornellaia in support of the twelfth edition of the Vendemmia d’Artista project. The online auction of the 12 lots of the 2017 solar year, illustrated by Tomás Saraceno, will open on Sotheby’s online platform, where customers can easily bid via the Sotheby’s app. Profits will go to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. We predict that just like last year, these lots will attract an international group of bidders who want to buy these exclusive bottles and enjoy unique experiences”, added Jamie Ritchie, Worldwide Head of Sotheby's Wine.
The donations collected through Vendemmia d’Artista will also allow the project to be extended to all the museums in the Guggenheim constellation, ensuring that its excellence will continue to guide museum programming in different parts of the world at the same time.
“We are very grateful to Ornellaia for their long-standing involvement with the visual arts and their continued support towards our Mind's Eye program”, said Richard Armstrong, director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, “and it is also thanks to Ornellaia’s invaluable generosity that we are able to expand the programs which allow us to promote understanding and appreciating modern and contemporary art to all audiences.
“Since the Vendemmia d’Artista was launched, in 2009, we have always been pleased to be able to support the most important art foundations through the celebration of Ornellaia's unique character”, commented Giovanni Geddes Da Filicaja, CEO of Ornellaia. “In 2019 we inaugurated a three-year project with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York, and last year thanks to the Sotheby’s auction, 312.000 US dollars was raised. It gives us immense satisfaction to see how the parallels between wine and art continue to excite many people - first of all, us -and we hope there will be the same, if not a greater, contribution this year as well as the next, in support and for the further development of the “Mind’s Eye” program created for the visually impaired”.