Tenuta di Biserno | Antinori

Lodovico Antinori is one of the founders of the meteoric rise of Bolgheri wines in the Maremma. Already in the 1980s he recognized the potential of this region on the hills along the coast of Tuscany at the Tyrrhenian Sea. His successes with Ornellaia and Masseto have become legends. In 1994 an employee showed him the land above Bolgheri towards Bibbona. "It's called "Bellaria" because there's a steady sea breeze up here. "It was like love at first sight," said Lodovico Antinori in an interview, "because we were looking for an extension to the Ornellaia vineyards.

Lodovico and his team quickly realized that the geological composition of the soils in Bellaria was different, hilly and stony, clayey and calcareous, with large pebbles. So not for Ornellaia, more suitable for another project. It still took a while, but when he sold Ornellaia in 2001, the time was ripe to start a project together with his brother Piero, who ran the family business, for the first time. Together with the landowner Umberto Mannoni they founded the Tenuta di Biserno. The first harvest took place in 2003, the "Insoglio del Cinghiale" was born. If you are Lodovico Antinori, you can also name your wine with irony, because that means "The wallow of the wild boars". And the many wild pigs are rather a problem for the winegrowers of the Maremma.

The vineyards were planted between 2001 and 2005. Mainly with Cabernet Franc, but also with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot: "The wine hills remind me of Saint Émilion and Pomerol", says Lodovico Antinori in conversation. That's why he called Michel Rolland, the star oenologist from Bordeaux, with whom he had been working for Ornellaia for many years, as a consultant again. In Bordeaux he also met Helena Lindberg, who had already worked as an oenologist in Australia, New Zealand and Bordeaux for renowned wineries, and convinced her to move to the Maremma. Another project helped to convince them, because Lodovico Antinori loves Sauvignon blanc. And his grows in New Zealand on Mount Nelson near Marlborough, which is why Helena Lindberg looks after two harvests a year. One in the Maremma and one in New Zealand. The estate in New Zealand is also known as Campo di Sasso, as is the Tenuta, from which the first Insoglio del Cinghiale wines originated. It lies seven kilometres west of the Tenuta di Biserno, near the town of Bibbona. The main variety in the Campo di Sasso vineyards is the Syrah, which gives the Insoglio its unique flavour.

The Tenuta di Biserno is a property in an incredibly beautiful location, in the Alta Maremma, on a hill on the road from Bolgheri to Bibbona. A great panorama - from the towers of Bolgheri over the Tyrrhenian Sea to Bibbona you can let your gaze wander. In the back lie the forests of the Caselli Nature Reserve. And in between perfectly cultivated vineyards.

The soil consists of the so-called Bolgheri conglomerate - a mixture of mineral-rich alluvial soil, shell limestone and pebbles that provide drainage. Rather atypical for Bolgheri are the high proportions of lime and clay. Given the terroir and the variety of soils, Lodovico planted exclusively Bordeaux grape varieties, mainly Cabernet Franc, followed by Merlot, some Cabernet Sauvignon and surprisingly much Petit Verdot. The soil is very varied in the different locations. Maritime sediments and clay on northwestern slopes provide ideal conditions for the Merlot, while the gravelly plots at higher altitudes with good drainage are perfect for the Cabernets Franc. In the midst of the Biserno hills lie 6 hectares of "spectacular terroir" from which the top wine "Lodovico" comes. This is said to be the best cru in the region.

Soil and microclimate are the basis. Another aspect of the terroir is the luminosity of the Tyrrhenian Sea, which acts as a mirror. Biserno benefits from its cool breezes and perfect sunshine in a west-east orientation with rows open to the sea. The vineyards were planted with 6,500 vines per hectare in cordon education. Between the rows, greened with grass to limit the natural growth of the young vines. The yields are limited to 1 kg per plant = approx. 1 bottle per plant!

The Tenuta di Biserno originally had a second vineyard: I Pianali. There was only one wine produced, the Coronato. Since this did not fit to the Biserno style, it was sold again in the meantime. SUPERIORE.DE