Tenuta di Biserno wines tasted and rated

Susan Hulme MW explores this Tuscan estate, a partnership between the two Antinori brothers, and picks out her top vintages of the Lodovico and Biserno wines...

The 49 hectare Tenuta di Biserno estate is situated in Bibbona in the Alta Maremma, just outside the Bolgheri zone in coastal Tuscany, and commands a magnificent view across the Maremma to the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Scroll down to see Susan’s tasting notes and scores

A joint venture between brothers Piero and Lodovico Antinori, it was originally identified as an extension to Lodovico’s Ornellaia estate, but intuition told him it would be better-suited to Bordeaux varieties – in particular Cabernet Franc. Planting eventually commenced in 2001, the year he sold Ornellaia to Robert Mondavi.

Part of the Biserno estate, called Bellaria, overlaps both the Biserno and Ornellaia estates, and it is here that the six hectare Lodovico vineyard, the source of their eponymous flagship wine, is situated.

As you would expect, yields are low at 1kg per plant – equivalent to one bottle per vine. Vine density is 6,500 per hectare, with vigour being further restricted by grassing between the rows.

The terroir

The mesoclimate is affected by the reflected light from the sea and cool breezes from the coast, providing optimal ripening conditions for the Bordeaux varieties grown here.

There are a variety of soil types in the area, and Lodovico has carefully matched each variety to its preferred soil: Cabernet Franc, key to the estate’s wines, is planted on the higher gravelly slopes, while Merlot is planted lower down on limestone and clay.

‘We have three clones on four different rootstocks. It’s like playing chess, but we’ve got it under control now,’ he told me. ‘The goal was to make excellent wines, different from Sassicaia because of the soil, and not to use any Sangiovese’.

The winemaking

There is a very strong team at work both in the vineyards and in the winery. The hands-on winemaker is Helena Lindberg, from Sweden, who started working at Tenuta di Biserno in 2004 following tenures in Australia, New Zealand and France.

Lodovico also employs famed consultant oenologist Michel Rolland, his friend since they worked together at Ornellaia and Masseto in the 1980s.

Lodovico, the name of the flagship cuvée, is predominantly Cabernet Franc, with a splash of Petit Verdot. Fermentation is in stainless steel, then 50% undergoes malolactic fermentation in barriques. The wine is aged in new French oak for 15-18 months and then a further 12 months in bottle.

Biserno is a blend of Cabernet Franc, with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, fermented in stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation is 65% in barriques and 35% in stainless steel, and the wine is aged for 15 months in new French oak barriques and a further 12 months in bottle.

What I particularly love about these wines is the intensity and purity of the aromas and the rich, voluptuous textures which are balanced by refreshing acidity and a fine tannic framework. Although serious, they are seriously enjoyable too.

Susan’s top wines from Tenuta di Biserno:

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