INTRODUCTION
Tuscany’s love affair with Bordeaux varieties is now well over half a century old.
But it was in 2001 when Lodovico, Piero and Ilaria Antinori took the decision to move away from the Super Tuscan heartland of Bolgheri and found an estate in the rolling hills of Bibbona in Tuscany’s upper Maremma.
Helena Lindberg oversaw the winemaking for the sensational 2021 and 2022 vintages, with 2023 being her final vintage at the estate after 19 distinguished years.
The estate’s two wines, Il Pino di Biserno and the eponymous Biserno contain a sizeable portion of Cabernet Franc that brings a profound sense of vibrancy and lift to the wines.
Unique in the region and brilliantly crafted, these new releases are not to be missed!
NEVILLE KIRKPATRICK
FINE WINE SALES EXECUTIVE
September 2024
HISTORY
The story of Tenuta di Biserno begins with one of the most prominent figures in Italian winemaking, Marchese Lodovico Antinori.
In 1994, when Lodovico was scouting for land to expand the great Super Tuscan estate Ornellaia, he uncovered a unique 90 hectare estate that would later become Biserno.
Tucked away in the hills of Bibbona in the Upper Maremma, Lodovico found that the geological and topographical features of the estate were vastly different to those of Ornellaia — largely due to the fact that soils were too stony and the area too hilly to create a contiguous plot — and so despite falling in the love with the site, the creation of Biserno would have to wait.
However, following the sale of Ornellaia in 2002, Lodovico was free to renew his interest in the estate that captivated him eight years earlier, and in partnership with his brother Piero and sister Illaria , Tenuta di Biserno was formed.
BIBBONA
The wines of Tenuta di Biserno possess a plenitude and sense of freshness that is quite singular when compared to other wines of Bolgheri.
This is in large part due to the moderating influence of the Tyrennian sea that the estate overlooks. The cool maritime breezes roll through vines giving welcome relief from the intensity of the Tuscan sun and allow the vines to rest during the night, resulting in ripe fruit with great acidity. This climate, coupled with exceptional luminosity — a factor often overlooked – is a hugely important part of Biserno’s terroir.
The estate’s soils, a blend of clay and the esteemed ‘Bolgheri Conglomerate’, are known for their rich mineral content. This mineral character, similar to that at Ornellaia, was a key factor in Lodovico’s decision to plant exclusively Bordeaux varieties. The north-western slopes, with their denser maritime sediments and clay, provide ideal conditions for Merlot. Conversely, the higher, gravelly sites are perfectly suited for the Cabernets.
The Team
The team is led by chief executive Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi. Niccolò is Lodovico and Piero’s nephew, son of their sister Ilaria.
Director of viticulture Ranieri Orsini possesses an intimate knowledge of the vineyards and intuitively knows what Lodovico is looking for, having worked with him at Ornellaia for seven years.
Helena Lindberg is the winemaker, tasked with interpreting the ingredients of the vineyards as faithfully as possible. Formerly a food scientist, she had worked in the Barossa Valley in Australia and then in New Zealand, developing a fervent interest in wine which ultimately took her to France to study oenology. She has worked with Lodovico at Biserno since 2004.
THE GROWING SEASON
The 2021 Vintage
Due to 2021’s mild and wet winter, the vines were slow to bud, and spring was characterised by cooler temperatures than normal. The warmer weather did arrive in late May and early April, and although there were intermittent showers, Summer soon took hold, and the warm weather persisted right through until the end of the harvest. Thanks to precious water reserves that were topped up throughout winter and early spring, along with cooler nighttime temperatures, the vines experienced no hydric stress. 2021 is widely considered to be an absolutely stellar vintage across all of Tuscany, and it seems Biserno has taken full advantage of these wonderful conditions.
The 2022 Vintage
From the end of winter to mid-August, the 2022 season was unusually dry with just a peppering of rain between April and May. The low rainfall meant there was little to no risk of fungal diseases, contributing to the development of healthy, high-quality grapes despite a slight reduction in yields. The vintage was set to be marked by quite a solar character until August, which brought unexpected rainfall that was particularly beneficial to the later ripening varieties, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and prevented the plants from suffering any hydric stress.
THE WINES
IL PINO 2022
Deep ruby. A Cabernet Franc dominant blend. Classy dark berry fruit aromas with crushed earth minerality and bitter chocolate. Very inviting. The palate is sweetly fruited on the attack, with a mouth-puckering saltiness on the mid-palate, which sets off the plush blackberry fruit nicely. The solar character of the vintage is discernible, but it has retained a lively acid backbone. Supple tannins, with just the right amount of grip round off a characterful and rather delicious wine.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+
Recommended drinking from 2025 - 2032
£225 /Case of 6 Bottles
All prices are quoted in bond UK
BISERNO 2021
35% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep ruby. A fabulously inviting, aromatic nose of dark berry fruit, mint, cedar and thyme. The palate opens silky and sweetly fruited, finding a textural poise with a generous but finely judged mid-palate, which is lifted by fresh acids and with perfume coming in behind – violets and dark spices. This is clearly a wine to cellar, but there is no doubt that 2021 at Biserno is a resounding success.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2027 - 2037
£695/Case of 6 Bottles
£255/Case of 1Magnum
£565/Case of 1 Double-Magnum
All prices are quoted in bond UK