2001 Tenuta di Trinoro

Nestled among the soft undulating hills of the Val d'Orcia, in the province of Siena, Tenuta di Trinoro gives new meaning to the expression “in the middle of nowhere.” Andrea Franchetti is the man behind the singular wines of this small estate. Though somewhat of an eccentric, Franchetti is down to earth and unassuming, qualities made all the more remarkable given his aristocratic lineage. In today's marketing-conscious world it is refreshing to spend time with a producer who is so brutally candid. Franchetti's career has encompassed many different activities, including importing fine wines into the US to his latest adventure, producing some of the most exciting wines to come out of Sicily's emerging Mount Etna appellation. As if that were not enough, in 2007 Franchetti will follow in the footsteps of Michel Rolland and Denis Dubourdieu in making the 2007 “Episode 3” wine at Chateau d'Arsac, in the southern Medoc. As Franchetti gives me a tour of the vineyards in his beat up station wagon I find myself completely immersed in a feeling of remoteness and serenity which is oddly stressful to a city dweller. To say that Franchetti is obsessed with quality is a gross understatement. We pass a parcel planted with Cabernet Franc, but the fruit lies shriveled on the vine because Franchetti wasn't happy with the quality so he didn't bother harvesting the fruit. When he is at Trinoro Franchetti lives in a rustic home at the top of the hill which offers extraordinary views of the isolated surrounding landscape. Like many estates that are born from an agrarian tradition Trinoro also produces small amounts of olive oil and other crops. Franchetti fervently believes that the most complex and expressive wines he makes are those that are blends of the four main varietals he grows on the property: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Franchetti no longer produces his Palazzi (Merlot and Cabernet Franc) and Cincinnato (Cesanese d'Affile) bottlings because he found himself bored by those wines. In addition to Tenuta di Trinoro there is a second wine, Le Cupole di Trinoro, which is made from the barrels that aren't deemed to be of the exacting quality Franchetti requires for his ‘Grand Vin' and which is priced much more accessibly. The vines are planted at altitudes ranging from 500 to 700 meters using a high density of approximately 9,000 plants per hectare, which was very unusual for Tuscany when the first plots were planted in 1992. The soils at Trinoro are quite poor, which along with the tight spacing stresses the vines and encourages them to develop stronger, deeper root systems. Franchetti classifies the soils at Trinoro into two major sub-divisions, using the St. Emilion terms “côtes” and “graves” to differentiate between the soils which are composed primarily of clay and limestone on the upper ridges and the more gravelly terrain which is found on the lower portions of the vineyards. Yields are extremely low and range from 15 to 26 quintals per hectare, depending on the vintage. Franchetti remains deeply influenced by the wines of Bordeaux, and many of his cuttings come from some of that region's top estates, such as Vieux Chateaux Certan, which is the source of his Cabernet Franc. Franchetti favors late harvests that push ripeness to the extreme. This is clearly a high-stakes approach to winemaking as the likelihood of rain and other inclement conditions increases as the harvest season moves into the Fall. Franchetti typically picks his Merlot in beginning of October while the Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot are usually picked towards the end of the month, although in some years, such as 2004, the harvest can stretch into November. Because of the extended growing season at Trinoro, the quality of the harvested fruit varies quite a bit from year to year, as does the final blend of the wine. In the cellar Franchetti favors small fermentation tanks which allow him to vinify each parcel separately. The wines are vinified using indigenous yeasts and undergo varying fermentation/maceration times that can last a few days or as much as a few months, as Franchetti often leaves a small portion (around 15%) of the wine in contact with the skins for several months. Walking through the cellar in late 2006 I tasted many small lots from barrel, many of which had already been selected for the Tenuta. Franchetti employs 100% new French oak for the Tenuta and the period of barrel aging varies from year to year. The wines are not filtered but do undergo a slight egg-white clarification prior to being bottled.