Tenuta di Trinoro 2014's with Andrea Franchetti...

A great line up

I have posted a lot before about the Tenuta di Trinoro wines from Andrea Franchetti. I feel they are unique. The estates is a very special place that produces a varying number of wines. There is a very real affinity to Cabernet Franc though Andrea is not so keen to get drawn on exact blends of certain wines. This was a tasting of samples conducted on Friday 22nd May.

One change this year to the line-up is that the project to have a single vineyard/cru Cabernet Franc which happened in 2012 and 2013 with Magnacosta has been extended to include two more "Campo's" - Tenaglia and Camagi.

2014 was a vintage that had a cooler season all the way through. You would think this lead to later picking than the already very later timings Andrea uses here but actually it meant the pickings were the same if not a shade earlier as the cooler weather meant that the plants kept working at a consistent rate rather than in the more normal hot years where the temperatures, as high as 42degrees, shocked the plants into stopping. The other main change is that alcohols are lower, 13-14. So the wines...

Cupole di Trinoro - Like raspberry coulee, lovely freshness and a bit of good greeness, I am very impressed with this and think it is the best Cupole of the last 5-6 years.

Campo Magnacosta - Darker than Cupole, cool berry fruit, good sweet attack, then a lovely gravelly, cool stone, not followed by a nicely mineral palate with a little freshness, good-greenness, really lovely. Understated and balanced.

Campo Tenaglia - A thick limestone soil "Like Ausone" Andrea says. More vibrant, more full, good fruits, juiciness. A shade more extracted or it appears that way.

Campo Camagi - Expressive, balance, a nice tightening dryness on the palate, really lovely, good fruit combines well with the good acidity.

Palazzi - 100% Merlot, Vibrant red juiciness then the palate has a nice coolness (not always the case with Palazzi which can be hedonistic) there is a really balanced savoury edge to this overall, along with Cupole I would say this is another "best ever". Everything Merlot sound be - sun and soil.

Tenuta di Trinoro - Approximately 45% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. This is immediately more serious but still has a lovely sweetness of attack, very good balance and lift, energy. The favourite amongst the tasters.

Andrea and Joe discuss the tannins

One more wine was added which is released at the same time but is from Andrea's other estate in Sicily - Tenuta di Passopisciaro - and that is:

Franchetti 2014 - 100% Petit Verdot and a wine that has always been a "wonderful anomally". My note starts that this is like a "cool evening after a hot day". I say this because there is a bonkers nose of deep dark fruit and intensity but then there is a cooler more stoney palate that makes this a wine to just be impressed by. This is not an everyday wine, nor priced that way, but it is an amazing, dare I say, unique experience.

Bravo Andrea...