Limited Edition Ornellaia Up For Auction

Bidding is officially open for extremely limited bottles of Ornellaia, designed by acclaimed Cameroonian artist Pascale Martine Tayou. The rare large format wines make up the 17th annual Vendemmia d’Artista auction to support the arts in partnership with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.

Since 2006, the world-renowned Italian estate has chosen one word to describe each harvest. The 2022s going under the gavel right now are coined ‘La Determinazione’, to encapsulate the courage, fortitude, and ability to overcome nature’s challenges to ultimately capture the essence of the wine. Pascale’s interpretation shows that resilience with the double magnum label art depicting a plant pushing through the cracks to bloom in the arid desert terrain.

"You have people who live and work together and aim to shape the world in their own way,” Pascale said. “That's where I saw the most fundamental meaning: the courage to reach your goals. For me, determination is a form of commitment and courage. It could even be related to resilience and resistance.”

Ornellaia only produced 1 Salamanzar (9-liter), 10 Imperials (6-liter) and 100 Double Magnums (3-liter) with Pascale’s unique artwork for the 2022 vintage. But this sale also includes other collector favorites like a double magnum from the iconic 2001 vintage and a vertical of the ultra-rare Ornellaia Bianco magnums. The bottles come straight from the estate cellars, ensuring pristine provenance.  

Auction house Bonhams is currently hosting the online bidding, which closes on June 24 at 2:00pm ET. You can see the 14 lots and place your bids here (there is no sales tax and the Buyer’s Premium is 25 percent).