Tenuta di Trinoro 2009
Merlots picked in October instead of September, Cabernets at the end, instead of the middle, of the month; rainless storms rumbling aver the unyielding green of the vines; rich wines, packed with salts: this is the second vintage that has passed leaving us at Trinoro with a feeling of the tropics. Seeing the fertility and forecasting a blazing summer which then came, I cut very much down the vines’ canopy hoping that some of the water in the berries would be absorbed to fight the heat’s stress; that happened and in September the plants had also lost their deeper green, but they still had lots of energy and resumed gathering water. At picking I found that cases were coming in the cellar weighing much heavier than what would have built our average of 3.4 tons per hectare, and that led to the second important step taken during this vintage: opening the valve under every tank we filled and bleeding it for 20% of its weight.
In 2009, though very nourished, each of our varietals was slow to ripen. The rains waited long enough to let us pick them: that always makes a great vintage. Afterwards I found that I had an impressive spectrum of great, ripe wines of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, each one replicated in several different pickings, to choose from. It took longer than usual to select and discard the barrels because so many of them were good. This is one of the best wines ever made at Trinoro.
Vineyard age: 20 years
Vineyard density: 10,000 vines/Ha
Vineyard altitude: 450-600 m asl
Yield per hectare: 18 Hl/Ha
Fertilization: None
Spraying: Clay, propolis, grapefruit seed extract
Harvest: Pickings of Merlot where on September 27th, 28th, 30th and October 1st; of Cabernet Franc on October 5th, 9th, 13th and 20th; of Petit Verdot on October 27th; of Cabernet Sauvignon on October 21st and November 1st
Aging: 8 months in new French oak barriques, 10 months in cement vats
Bottling: March 2011
Production: 8,400 bottles
REVIEWS
“The estate’s 2009 Tenuta di Trinoro presents exotic notes of wild cherries, plums, spices, minerals and licorice all of which come together on a silky, polished frame. Smoke, incense and a host of other seductive, beguiling aromas and flavors add complexity as they wrap around the seriously intense finish. The 2009 Tenuta shows off marvelous intensity and a full-throttle personality while retaining a touch more freshness than is sometimes the case. In 2009 the Tenuta is 42% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc, 12%, Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. (Drink 2017 – 2029).”
— Antonio Galloni, 96 points
“If you ask Andrea Franchetti to name his two favorite vintages of the past, they are 2001 and 2009. The 2009 Tenuta di Trinoro is indeed an outstanding blend… The wine is showing beautifully right now and promises more excellence to carry it forward over the years. At the moment, it is seamless and infinite with a superior sense of balance and dark fruit integrity. It speaks in a loud, clear and articulate voice. The wine’s appearance shows a dark, impenetrable color that underlines the ideal growing conditions of the vintage and the slow fruit-ripening. The aromas are stunning and perfectly balanced, showing both elegance and power. The tannins deliver dimension and a firmly unyielding quality that bodes very well for the future evolution of this stunning wine. (Drink 2015 – 2030).”
— Monica Larner, 99 points
BLEND
42% Cabernet Franc
42% Merlot
12% Cabernet Sauvignon
4% Petit Verdot
