Lodovico 2016, En primeur

A.D.2016

E X C LUSI V E TO COR N E Y & BA R R OW IN T H E U K, SI N GA P OR E & T H A IL A N D

“The supreme expression of coastal Tuscany’s Tenuta di Biserno estate, Lodovico is as singular as the Cabernet Franc vines from which it comes.”

GUY SEDDON Fine Wine Buyer

LODOVICO 2016 2016 was a sublime year in coastal Tuscany. For Bibbona, the home of Vigna Lodovico, it was the second superlative vintage in a row.

Tenuta di Biserno was established in 2007. Its top wine, Lodovico, is now released alone.

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The vineyard. Vigna Lodovico is a single plot of six hectares. It was discovered in 1995 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori, who originally intended it as part of Ornellaia. It soon became apparent that these hilly, rocky slopes had a personality of their own, capable of making something unique.

Lodovico Antinori. The creator of Ornellaia and Masseto, scion of the Tuscan winemaking dynasty. Following the sale of Ornellaia in 2002, Lodovico, together with his brother Marchese Piero Antinori, founded this new estate.

It is a personal project, very personal in fact, dedicated to the next generation, Lodovico’s daughter Sofia.

Cabernet Franc. The great wines built around Cabernet Franc are an exclusive club. Hard to find the right conditions but when it works, as here, it excels. Just as Masseto has become a pinnacle of the Merlot grape's potential, Lodovico is on course to achieve the same with Cabernet Franc.

GUY SEDDON October 2020

Lodovico Antinori

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THE VINEYARD: VIGNA LODOVICO “The 2016 Lodovico is an exceptional expression. Tenuta di Biserno has found its stride.”

MONICA LARNER MAY 2019

The holiday brochure image of Tuscany – olive groves and sun-drenched vistas – overlooks that it can be pretty cool for much of the year, especially at night.

The growing season’s day-night temperature shift is one of the keys to the success of the Tuscan coast. Another is the light, which is startlingly intense, reflecting off the azure sea.

Vigna Lodovico’s soils are a mix of clay and the mineralrich ‘Bolgheri conglomerate’. Cabernet Franc here has more in common with the right bank of Bordeaux than the Middle Loire, although there is an aromatic delicacy which evokes shades of both.

Vigna Lodovico was planted in 2002, at a density of 6,500 vines per hectare. The vines are pruned to form spur cordons, trained on trellises. Grass between the rows restricts the vines’ natural vigour.

THE CELLAR Grape selection takes place on a vibrating sorting table, followed by de-stemming and gentle crushing.

Fermentation happens in stainless steel tanks, following which 80% of the wine undergoes malolactic conversion in oak barrels.

Lodovico is aged for 16 months in 80% new French oak barriques. It is then bottled and released after a further 12 months.

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Marchese Lodovico Antinori and daughter Sophia Helena Lindberg, Winemaker

THE GROWING SEASON “2016 is a vintage with great potential on the Tuscan coast – and for Tenuta di Biserno in particular.”

LODOVICO ANTINORI September 2020 10

11 Following a winter that was warmer than normal, spring was cool, with frequent rainfall well into June. Vineyard growth was steady, preparing the vines well for the summer heat.

July and August were warm and dry. Thanks to the soil water reserves built up over the spring, the vines took this in their stride.

Ripening proceeded steadily, with relatively cool nights in August helping to retain fresh fruit aromas and flavours.

A long, leisurely harvest stretched from the first week of September to the second week of October. Winemaker Helena Lindberg described the grapes as having “great fruit concentration and tannin quality.”

TASTING NOTE LODOVICO 2016 Cabernet Franc, with a touch of Petit Verdot. A brilliant ruby colour. Violets, raspberry and a hint of bramble on the nose, with dark, flinty undertones, then coffee beans, cedar and vanilla pod. A little liquorice and black pepper too. The palate is silky-smooth on the entry, beautifully fine, supple tannins insinuating themselves into the refined blackberry and purple hued fruit. A powerful midpalate, yet retaining outstanding poise. Bitter chocolate and deft fruit sweetness add a gratifying decadence.

A fine tannic grip defines the finish, supported by a chalky mineral tension. Complex and age-worthy, a truly stunning wine.

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Corney & Barrow Score 18.5 Recommended drinking from 2023 - 2038 £925/Case of 3 bottles, in bond UK

Tasting Guide Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have also introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection. For the benefit of simplicity, wines are scored out of 20. We will often use a range of scores (e.g.

16.5 to 17) to indicate the potential to achieve a higher mark. When a ‘+’ is shown it adds further to that potential. Wines from lesser vintages will, inevitably, show a lower overall score.

Wines are judged, in a very broad sense, against their peers. Why? Well, you cannot easily compare a Ford with an Aston Martin, other than they are both cars and have wheels. It is not that different with wine. A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes and, as always, speak to our sales team.

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