If you enjoy stories about passionate winemakers, you are going to fall in love with Tenuta di Trinoro. This wine is a true Super-Tuscan. Made from international varieties matured in barriques and produced in small quantities, Tenuta di Trinoro has consistently received high scores from various critics.
Tenuta di Trinoro’s Story
The estate is located on the rolling hills of Val d’Orcia and was acquired by Andrea Franchetti in the 1980s. Due to dense clay soils, high rainfall and intense heat, viticulture never took place before Andrea’s arrival. No one believed in his project, but Andrea was determined to make world-class wines. He went to Bordeaux to study winemaking and upon his return, 10 years later, he planted his first vineyard.
Searching for the right mix of blue clay and gravel, he identified the best soils and planted clones of Cabernet Franc and Merlot that he brought back from St Emilion. Andrea wanted his wines to be concentrated so he replicated Bordeaux’s viticultural techniques. Using high density planting (10,000 vines per hectare) and heavy pruning, he lowered the yields to create deep wines full of flavours. He also followed biodynamic principles using only natural treatments in the vineyard.
Today, his son Benjamin, helped by winemaker Lorenzo Fornaini, continues his vision. Due the climate changes, he is slowly replanting with less density. As summers are warmer and the vines older, it naturally reduces the yields.
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Vineyards & Winemaking
The isolated estate covers 200 hectares of land of which 24 are dedicated to vines. Only grapes originating from Bordeaux are planted here with a majority of Cabernet Franc and to a lesser extent Merlot. The vines lie between 450 and 600 meters above sea level, where the eroded rock of the mountain gives way to the limestone and clay of an ancient sea floor.
Unlike many producers who took part in the Super-Tuscan phenomenon, Andrea worked alone and did not get any help from consultants. He experimented with micro-vinification and various maturation techniques to develop his perfect ‘recipe’. The wine is matured for six to eight months in French oak barrels of various sizes (15 to 20% new). Only the best barrels are selected to make Tenuta di Trinoro which will be aged for 12 months in concrete tanks and a further 12 months in the bottle before release.
Andrea also respects nature and its challenges, meaning each vintage reflects the year and as a result the final blend can vary a lot, from 95% Cabernet Franc to just 40% from one vintage to the other.
Tenuta di Trinoro's Wines
Tenuta di Trinoro - The flagship of the estate is a vintage-specific blend and the best insight to Andrea’s approach to winemaking. It is characterised by high planting, high thinning, very low yields, extreme ripeness, and concentration of flavor. Sourced from vines at higher altitude, it is the result of a selective blend and less than 8,500 bottles are made on average every year. This is a rich, deep, complex and structured wine which will develop in the bottle over time.
Le Cupole – The second wine was the first wine to be released by Andrea in 1995. Today, it represents 70% of the estate’s annual production (about 120,000 bottles). It is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, but just like his big brother the percentage of each grape varies with each vintage. This is a deep and exuberant wine which is approachable in its youth.
Palazzi - Conceived as a right bank Bordeaux, it was originally a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot when the first wines were made between 1997 to 1999. They received great scores from critics however, always looking to perfect his wines, Andrea stopped producing it until 2009, when it became a 100% Merlot. Approachable in its youth, it has an elegant structure that can stand the test of time. Less than 2,000 bottles are made every year.
Campo - Three single vineyards, Campo di Magnacosta, Campo di Tenaglia and Campo di Camagimade, are also made here with 100% Cabernet Franc. The plantings are over 25 years old. Having developed large root systems, they have developed distinct tastes and reflect their terroir.
2022 - The Scores
The 2022 Tenuta di Trinoro is a heady, opulent wine. Inky dark fruit, new leather, incense, licorice, espresso, bittersweet chocolate and cloves all stain the palate. Unctuous and flamboyant to the core, the 2022 is a total stunner. It can be enjoyed young, as the tannins are rather soft, but I would prefer to give it a few years in bottle to allow some of the baby fat to melt away. This is the first vintage since 2015 that includes all four red varieties om the estate: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The maniacal focus on vineyard work started by the late Andrea Franchetti continues today under the leadership of his son, even after all these years, the Trinoro wines remain among the most completing, singular reds in the world. – 96 points Vinous
Deep ruby with an impenetrable core. A very inviting nose with an appealing mix of dark berries, dominated by blackcurrant, blackberry, and mulberry, accompanied by delicate spicy notes and plenty of cardamom. A rich and concentrated entry on the palate, it expands beautifully with dark berry fruit, followed by structured, layered tannins and a fine, creamy texture at the core. Still very young - 98 points, Falstaff
One of three single-vineyard expressions of Cabernet Franc made by Tenuta di Trinoro, the 2022 Campo di Magnacosta is the most mineral driven of the bunch. Grapes come from super high-density, double guyot planting (with 10,000 vines per hectare) on gravel soils. This 1.5-hectare parcel rests at the lowest part of the estate at 400 to 450 meters above sea level with a little stream that runs through the middle. This wine delivers a medium-plus mouthfeel, with tight and vertical aromas of blackberry, crushed granite and a hint of white pepper. The wine ages first in barrique and then in cement. The alcohol pushes high at 15% in this tiny 1,939-bottle release. - 95 points Robert Parker
This wine walks with a heavy footprint and broad shoulders. The Tenuta di Trinoro 2022 Campo di Camagi is a big wine with the proverbial capital "B." Made with 100% Cabernet Franc, the grapes come from a 1.5-hectare parcel of shallow, stony soils with quartz and limestone. The roots struggle to make their way to underground water reserves, and the wine is extra dark, extracted and powerful as a result (with a pounding 15.5% alcohol content). It carries its generous fruit weight with broad horizontal intensity instead of vertical power, and it wraps thickly over the palate with baked plum, blackberry preserves and baking spice over an inky dark appearance. Only 960 bottles exist. – 94 points Robert Parker