As forecast on this site many moons ago (wine news – 11 September 2001), Robert Mondavi has acquired the remaining shares in Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, the Bolgheri estate established by Marchese Lodovico Antinori, with a view to bringing in the Frescobaldi family, their partners in the Luce joint venture, in June this year.
The Californians took a minority interest in the estate in November 1999 and installed their ex-Languedoc winemaker Thomas Duroux last year. They are now purchasing the remaining shares. The current team will remain in place and Lodovico's only current wine involvement is the project already outlined on this site with his hardworking brother Piero.
For a recent vertical tasting of the (pretty impressive) wines of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, click here. I prefer them to what I have so far tasted of Luce.
