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.
2021 - The Scores
Tenuta di Trinoro 2021
Super clean and rich with ripe currants on the nose, together with floral notes of violets and bright spices, such as nigella seeds and cardamom. Medium- to full-bodied with a very focused drive through the palate. The bright spices latch onto the firm tannins and combine with the fruit to give a long, vibrant finish. This is very tight and brimming with life. Needs a year or two to soften the tannins, but already showing class. Best from 2027. – 95 points James Suckling
Made with Cabernet Franc and a smaller part Merlot, the 2021 Tenuta di Trinoro has a very generous and open-knit character with thick layers of dark fruit, blackberry confit, rhubarb, sweet earth and toasted spice. The wine's appearance is inky dark, and like the other wines in this portfolio of new releases, the alcohol is recorded at a high 15.5%. I have adored recent vintages of this wine, especially the 2019, and this 2021 feels a little more open and accessible in comparison. – 96 points Robert Parker
The heat and drought in the summer of 2021, following an April frost, led the team at Tenuta di Trinoro to carry out a significant green harvest to enable the vines to focus on ripening just the few remaining bunches. The canopy was left largely intact to provide shade. Rain finally arrived in mid-September, providing a welcome relief for the vines and giving back some aromatic complexity to the grapes. Displaying a ripe, fleshy nose of black and red hedgerow berries, along with touches of sous bois, currants, bitter herbs and floral notes, this is an immediately appealing Trinoro 2021. In the mouth it conveys brightness along with depth and sapidity of succulent dark fruits, all the time lifted by a balsamic character. While not as brilliantly crunchy and textural as the 2020 (remember that we are comparing a 60% Merlot with a 92% Cabernet Franc) this nonetheless features fine, grippy tannins and fresh acidity which lurk on the periphery, supporting the fruit without interfering. Vertical, succulent and bright, with some sweet violet, tobacco, damp earth and graphite notes emerging on the long and poised finish. – 95 points Decanter
Le Cupole 2021
Currants and flowers with cinnamon and some blood oranges. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins and a lovely, supple finish. Delicious now. A blend of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon with a bit of petit verdot. Drink or hold – 95 points James Suckling
The 2021 Le Cupole (a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot) is the well-priced entry-level red from one of the most prolific and creative wine estates in Tuscany. Le Cupole is velvety and full-bodied with dark fruit, dried cherry and sweet earth or terracotta. This is an incredible value. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, and the wine is matured in neutral barrique and cement. Some 100,000 bottles were released. – 96 points Robert Parker