2005 Trinoro

The 2005 Tenuta di Trinoro is one of the handful of unqualified successes in this difficult Tuscan vintage. Rain towards the end of the growing season compromised much of the fruit, so in 2005 Tenuta is roughly 90% Merlot, an early-maturing grape which the estate was able to bring in before the rains. It is a primary, vibrant wine endowed with super-ripe blueberries, blackberries, new leather, spices and graphite. It is incredibly long, layered and pure, all qualities which are quite rare in this vintage. Franchetti also opted for a relatively short 7 months of oak aging in 2005, which seems to have been an inspired choice in this vintage.

The 2005 Tenuta di Trinoro is one of the handful of unqualified successes in this difficult Tuscan vintage. Rain towards the end of the growing season compromised much of the fruit, so in 2005 Tenuta is roughly 90% Merlot, an early-maturing grape which the estate was able to bring in before the rains. It is a primary, vibrant wine endowed with super-ripe blueberries, blackberries, new leather, spices and graphite. It is incredibly long, layered and pure, all qualities which are quite rare in this vintage. Franchetti also opted for a relatively short 7 months of oak aging in 2005, which seems to have been an inspired choice in this vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. Proprietor Andrea Franchetti continues to turn out some of the most inspired wines in Italy. Franchetti pushes ripeness to the extreme, letting his fruit hang far longer than is the norm, which can cause problems as the growing season moves into the fall and the risk of inclement weather increases. To be sure, his is a high-risk, high-reward approach few winemakers would have the stomach for. From year to year the blend in his top bottling, Tenuta di Trinoro, varies considerably, but one thing is a constant; the wines are almost always outstanding and often profound expressions of these terroirs as interpreted by Franchetti. In recent years the second wine, Le Cupole di Trinoro, has established itself as a terrific wine that won’t break the bank. For those who are curious, the cellar itself is as bare-bones as they come. The wines are fermented in smallish stainless steel tanks which allow Franchetti to vinify separate lots of fruit individually. The wines are aged in French barrels. Importer: T. Edward Wines, Ltd., New York, NY; tel. (212) 233-1504

Franchetti's 2005 Tenuta di Trinoro is shaping up to be another winner. Officially listed at 63% Merlot, Franchetti says the true percentage of Merlot is closer to 90%. Tasted from tank, this sample of the final blend presents generous notes of blueberries, blackberries, graphite, minerals and sweet toasted oak on a full-bodied frame. It is an incredibly pure and expressive effort, with superb intensity and length, as well as exceptional overall balance. It offers outstanding potential and may very well turn out to be another profound wine from this estate. “In 2005 we had a picture-perfect harvest,” says Franchetti. “In fact you couldn't have scripted a better set of conditions. The Merlot we brought in was beautiful. Then it started to rain in October, and that compromised the rest of our harvest. Thankfully 2006 is a more normal vintage. I was starting to get sick of all this Merlot,” says Franchetti with a laugh.” The 2005 saw a very brief period of roughly 7 months in oak prior to being racked into cement. “I used to give my wines 18 months in new oak because that is what conventional wisdom held, but with the 2005 I thought the wine was starting to take on too many oak elements so I moved into cement where it will stay until it is bottled.”