The wines of Tenuta di Trinoro are, for the most part, geared toward a certain type of discerning wine connoisseur: one who likes a statement in the glass. Do not confuse that with a “Parker Points wine,” although this estate has certainly been a critical darling for years, and the wines could certainly be called “bold.” There is power, there is intensity, yes, but also nuance, verve and personality. They do not arrive on the palate eager for your praise; they are what they are, take it or leave it. That is part of their mystique.
Andrea Franchetti certainly cultivated that aura during his lifetime. On a recent visit to the estate, my first, I was granted a taste of several wines made in his final years, as well as two since his passing. His son, Benjamin, took the helm two years before his death (2019), and longtime enologist Lorenzo Fornaini and estate director Calogero Portannese are providing even more continuity. So in a way, the 2021 vintage of the flagship wine is marked every bit as much by this transition as it is the tempestuous weather (hot, dry, then quenching rains near harvest).
I have often taken a pass on covering red Bordeaux blends from Italy, particularly Tuscany where they are abundant and, frankly, anonymous. Tenuta di Trinoro is different. For one, Cabernet Franc is the star here, even if Merlot often comes out ahead in percentages in certain vintages. Secondly, this corner of Val d’Orcia, in Tuscany’s southeastern edge, is largely sealed off from the rest of the wine industry. One does not see vineyards for miles, and the clay-and-alluvial soil of the area, upon up-close examination, looks like Bordeaux.
I found these wines to be very compelling, but not perhaps where one might expect. My favorite was the white wine, a dazzling example of Sémillon, followed closely by the accessible, drink-now delights of the 2021 “Le Cupola.” The flagship wine is dazzling, but like the single-vineyard Cabernet Franc wines, poses some challenges to a taster. If the first two wines were a table-side conversation, the flagship wine (simply called Tenuta di Trinoro Toscana Rosso) felt like I was along for the ride in a sports car. I am a lowkey guy, but I know many of you would sign up for the Ferrari ride in a heartbeat.
I also want to be transparent that the Tenuta di Trinoro and the “Palazzi” are expensive wines. I’ve included production volume estimates with each tasting note, which partly explains some of the high prices, when you factor in the demand for these wines.
2023 Tenuta di Trinoro “Bianco Trinoro” Toscana Bianco
The 2023 “Bianco Trinoro” is quite an extraordinary white wine. Franchetti’s original ambition when he planted this sandy vineyard in a forest with Sémillon in 2001 was for a sweet wine. But time after time, the maturity was more inline with a dry white wine. It stayed “in the family” until 2017 when it was given its first commercial release. The wine is fermented in barrique barrels, then rests in cement tanks.
The 2023 “Bianco Trinoro” (★★★★★) is one of the most intriguing white wines to come out of Tuscany. Its exuberance is unmatched, while its radiance is inviting from contact. Redolent of fresh pear, white flowers and citrus zest, it has unstoppable energy with a silky texture that endures long after it’s gone. Only 2,900 bottles were made in 2023, which counts as a “generous harvest” from this microplot in the woods.
2022 Tenuta di Trinoro “Le Cupola” Toscana Rosso
Every great Bordeaux estate has a second vin, and it is in this tradition that Le Cupola sprung forth, beginning with the 1995 vintage. The 2022 vintage (★★★★ 1/2) sees a cuvée of 57% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. There is a very nice freshness to the red fruit of this wine, but an also a sternness that comes across as violets and graphite. In its relative youth is is a little juicier and softer than the 2021. On the palate, the berries truly pop, and the alcohol and fine-edged tannins do a nice job of framing the wine’s narrative.
2021 Tenuta di Trinoro “Le Cupola” Toscana Rosso
The 2021 vintage (★★★★ 3/4) followed almost exactly the same blending formula, with only a touch less Merlot and a touch more Petit Verdot. But it is a very different wine, showing a great deal more peppercorn aromatics on the nose. (Wow, I wrote in my notes upon first whiff.) The tannins still feel very firm and the fruit is at once inviting and complex, tinged with purple plums and a hint of lemon peel it seems. The finish is where everything comes together on this wine. An excellent value for a sub-$40 Bordeaux blend that punches well above its weight class.
2021 Tenuta di Trinoro Toscana Rosso
No two Tenuta di Trinoro Toscana Rosso are the same; Franchetti always wanted this wine to be a blend of the vintage’s best performing fruit. Once a cuvée of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, the wine now typically sees the latter two stripped out due to challenges of maturation. (Instead, they bolster “Le Cupola.”) This is a Merlot-Cabernet Franc blend, and — so it seems — will be for the immediate future.
The 2021 vintage prompted the team at Tenuta di Trinoro to embrace 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc for this edition of the Toscana Rosso (★★★★ 3/4). We followed this wine with a taste of the 2013, below.
This is the sports car I was telling you about. Full-throttle aromas can be likened to sweet plums, peppercorn, smoked brisket and petrichor, all of it eventually yielding to more of a strawberry-like fruit on the palate. That shifting dynamic, paired with its intensity, made the 2021 a very compelling wine. However, I believe it is very focused in terms of serving context. How exactly one would pair this with food other than fat-rich cuts of proteins is an interesting challenge. The tangy character on the finish is carried by fine-edged, highly active tannins that will need some years to settle. I would be very intrigued to see this wine eight years down the line.
2013 Tenuta di Trinoro Toscana Rosso
To showcase the age-worthiness of the wine, as well as the striking differences in the cuvée, Lene Bucelli selected the 2013 Toscana Rosso (★★★★★). The final blend was half Cabernet Franc, with Merlot (33%), Cabernet Sauvignon (13%) and Petit Verdot (4%) rounding it out.
Here was an examination of what all the fuss was about with Franchetti’s wines. The 2013 was simply stunning. The nature of the fruit was more raspberry-like than the 2021, and while you’d naturally expect some leathery elements at this age, the threads of black cocoa, delicate pepper and chalky tannins lent the whole wine a compelling sense of multidimensionality. After screeching tires of the 2021 sports car, this felt like a seat in an easy chair … and validation for why someone would cellar the wines of Tenuta di Trinoro.
2020 Tenuta di Trinoro “Palazzi” Toscana Rosso
Where Tenuta di Trinoro’s product mix breaks from the Bordeaux mold is in a set of single-vineyard varietal wines that it makes every year, no matter the conditions. “Palazzi” showcases Merlot, and the 2020 vintage (★★★★ 1/2) managed to conjure some very pleasant memories for me that I only associate with this grape. It is strong and precise with fresh raspberries and graphite. You can feel only small amounts of Merlot’s famous fleshiness, yet it is still a generous wine. The alcohol is noticeable, however, and at times a bit of a distraction for my palate and its tastes.
2016 Tenuta di Trinoro “Campo di Magnacosta” Toscana Rosso
In my profile on Tenuta di Trinoro, I noted that the estate deserves credit for allowing their grapes to go where they want to go, and then capturing that spirit in the glass, whatever it may be. With that mantra in place, you have to take the generous with the stingy, and the plush with the hard edged. You also have to hold your evaluations in context, vineyard by vineyard and vintage by vintage. What follows are three single-vineyard Cabernet Franc wines from the 2016 vintage, meaning six other vintages have been released since these ones. You are not likely to find these exact wines from these exact vintages, as they are scarce to begin with.
Campo di Magnacosta lies at the bottom of the hill, and it looks the Bordeaux part as much as any vineyard I’d seen in Italy. It is rich with silt. Loose alluvial rocks are scattered everywhere. Beautiful black plums with a thread of black tea show through the middle of the 2016 Campo di Magnacosta (★★★★ 1/2). It feels like it is reaching some plane of suppleness with its age, yet it still feels very lively and tannic. A dense, chewy wine with ample texture. 1,650 bottles made.
2016 Tenuta di Trinoro “Campo di Tenaglia” Toscana Rosso
Campo di Tenaglia resides midway up the mountain at Tenuta di Trinoro; a 0.8-hectare, slanted playing field of broken-down limestone. In the 2016 Campo di Tenaglia (★★★★ 1/2), I sensed ample mineral aromatics on the nose, as well as honeyed blackberries, leather and varnish, and ample alcohol. It feels powerful, forceful and impactful, although the tannins are more evolved and less coarse than the Campo di Magnacosta. 1,900 bottles made.
2016 Tenuta di Trinoro “Campo di Camagi” Toscana Rosso
Towards the top of the property at 550 meters above sea level lies Campo di Camagi, where the soil is rich with quartz and limestone. Whether it was this soil composition or the higher altitude and more exposure, I am not sure, but the 2016 Campo di Camagi (★★★★ 3/4), definitely had the most elegance and beauty of the three. The nose carries petrichor throughout, overlaying plush plum and raspberry fruit, peppercorn spice, vanilla bean and flowers. The tannins closely resembled those of Campo di Magnacosta, but as a whole, this wine felt better integrated. Make of that what you will: it is but a snapshot of this vineyard’s long story arc.
Note: My travels to Italy were paid for by the Anteprima di Toscana. I arranged travel to Tenuta di Trinoro on an afternoon off via the winery’s press agency. Learn more about my editorial policies.
All photos: ©Kevin Day/Opening a Bottle
