Tenuta di Trinoro
Nestled within the tranquil, secluded corners of southeastern Tuscany, Tenuta di Trinoro is a master of crafting opulent, long-aging red wines, showcasing a harmonious blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. This estate is a hidden gem, perched in viticultural solitude within the Orcia Valley, close to Sarteano, where the soul of Tuscany converges with the essence of Umbria and Lazio.
Andrea Franchetti, the visionary founder, purchased the estate during the 1980s, and in the early 1990s, he planted the first vines. In order to learn the winemaking trade, he went to Bordeaux and learned from some of the great cult producers of the right bank: Jean-Luc Thunevin and Peter Sisseck among them. In the rugged wilderness that would eventually transform into Trinoro, he identified clay-limestone and gravel-rich soils that harkened back to the revered terroirs of Saint-Émilion. Amidst vast expanses of cobalt-blue clay, select plots were deemed fit for viticulture. These patches were meticulously cleared by hand and then cultivated in the Bordelais tradition, characterized by high-density plantings, meticulously spaced meter-by-meter, using cuttings sourced from some of Bordeaux’s most esteemed vineyards.
Franchetti’s winemaking philosophy revolves around the tenets of close plantings, rigorous thinning, minuscule yields, extraordinary ripeness, and an unyielding pursuit of concentrated flavors. The wines that emerge from this philosophy are a sensory symphony, exuding intoxicating perfumes and opulence. They are simultaneously inviting in their youth yet destined for a graceful evolution within the confines of a patiently aging bottle.