Tenuta di Trinoro 'Palazzi' Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2021

Located in a remote corner of southeastern Tuscany, Tenuta di Trinoro specializes in rich, age-worthy red wines made of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. The Estate sits in viticultural isolation in the Orcia Valley near Sarteano, where Tuscany meets Umbria and Lazio.

Andrea Franchetti began making Palazzi alongside Tenuta di Trinoro, with an eye toward producing two wines reminiscent of the Left and Right Banks of Bordeaux. From 1997-1999, Palazzi – a wine made predominantly of Merlot – was a hit amongst critics, but then Franchetti decided to stop making it for ten years. 2009 was such a beautiful vintage, however, that he was inspired to begin producing the wine again due to how beautifully the Merlot had developed that season.

Palazzi showcases Merlot at its best, with plush, supple fruit balanced by intense minerality. A blend of grapes from across the estate, Palazzi comes from a selection of older vines of Merlot, comprising about five to seven hectares.

 “There’s great purity to this red, along with ripe plum, blackberry, chocolate, olive tapenade and toasty oak flavors. The tannins are civilized, while the refreshing acidity lends precision and focus. Showing terrific balance overall, this saturated the palate in the end, staying persistent and long. Approachable now, yet should improve." Wine Spectator, 97 points

“The Tenuta di Trinoro 2021 Palazzi is 100% Merlot, although this vintage feels especially dark and brooding, pushing this often-docile grape to extreme limits. The wine taste ripe but not excessively so, although the 15.5% alcohol content is impossible to ignore. To the palate, the wine is velvety and rich, and you get intense end notes of blackberry, crème de cassis and dark spice. Everything is well integrated, but nothing is understated.” Wine Advocate, 95 points