2013 Tenuta di Trinoro, Rosso, Toscana IGT

This newest release comes from a significantly cooler vintage. Summer highs only reached 26 degrees Celsius, compared to 40 degrees on an average year. As a result, the 2013 Tenuta di Trinoro is symbolic of a revisited and fresher style that Andrea Franchetti hopes to achieve with this landmark wine. This wine definitely stands apart from the others thanks to its tight lines and detailed fruit nuances. Blackberry, dried cherry and red currant is backed by leather, spice and chewing tobacco. The cool growing season meant that fruit was harvested very late (at the beginning of November) and the acidity is indeed more pronounced. The wine was slow to open when I tasted it. Despite its initial shyness, this 2013 vintage is shaping up to be a wine of enormous beauty and elegance. It delivers the confidence and character to withstand a longer drinking window than most.

Mild summer – average 26 °C (instead of 36 °C) – delayed veraison to mid August. Harvest: 4–23 October. Each ingredient was kept separately on its lees, unusually. 50% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot. 7,200 bottles produced. Rereleased in 2023 from library stock. Lustrous crimson with an evolved rim. Relatively subtle nose and drier than some of the earlier vintages. Racy and refined. Polished tannins. Savoury and lifted. (JR)