Ornellaia X Michelangelo Pistoletto

Following the great successfull Ornellaia 2009 wine has been in 2012 with the Sothebys auction in Hong Kong, thanks the unique bottles created by the Chinese artist Zhang Huan and the sculpture installation and 144,000 Euros donated to the H2 Foundation for Arts and Education, in 2013 the Estate has arranged an Event in Grissini Restaurant. The opportunity is to taste Ornellaia 2010, vintage of 25th Anniversary. This Year to celebrate the 25^th Anniversary, each and every bottle of Ornellaia 2010 has been decorated with a special logo, silk-screened in gold and ivory. Ornellaia commissioned Michelangelo Pistoletto, one of Italy’s most important and influential artists, to interpret ‘La Celebrazione’ for Vendemmia d’Artista Ornellaia 2010. The artist created labels for an extremely limited and individually-signed and numbered series of large-size bottles: 100 Double Magnums (3 litre), 10 Imperials (6 litre) and a unique Salmanazar (9 litre). 8 of these bottles were auctioned off at a charity auction organized by Sotheby’s of London.

Ornellaia was the star of a benefit auction that featured 8 of the custom bottles created by Michelangelo Pistoletto for the Vendemmia d’Artista Ornellaia 2010 at a gala dinner  at London’s Royal Opera House on 16 May, which raised 283,000 EUR. During the evening, Stephen Mould, Senior Director and Head of the European Wine Department of Sotheby’s, conducted a charity auction of these lots: the one-of-a-kind Salmanazar (9 litres), three Imperials (6 litres), and four Double Magnums (3 litres), all unique Pistoletto art pieces. The total proceeds, amounting to 325,000 EUR, were donated to the Royal Opera House Foundation. Two important events framed Ornellaia’s 25th Anniversary Celebration. In New York on February 23rd, Jamie Ritchie, CEO and President of The Americas and Asia Wine Sotheby’s, put under the gavel exclusive pre-release lots of Ornellaia 2010 silk-screened bottles, including a first-of-its-kind Balthazar (12 litres) made especially for the anniversary. The event’s proceeds, amounting to 55,250 USD - 42,000 EUR (equivalent to a bid price of 440 USD – 330 EUR per 750ml bottle) were donated to London’s Royal Opera House.

“A correlation exists between the cultures of wine and art, between Venus and Bacchus. Neither of them has a practical function, but both are undoubtedly powerful in activating the human spirit. Many artists have found in wine a source of inspiration; it propels the mind towards imagination, fantasy, and towards truth too in vino is truly veritas. The mirror, in particular, expresses truth and stimulates the imagination. I decided to utilise the mirror for the Ornellaia project, creating its profile through curving, sensuous lines that transgress the traditional square shape of a wine label. I wanted this artwork to be fluid, flexible, dynamic, just like the flowing movement of a thought.” States Michelangelo Pistoletto.