Recently I was deeply honoured to be invited by Filippo Contini Bonacossi to a historical vertical tasting followed by dinner in Florence, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the great wines from the Capezzana estate winery: Trefiano
The event took place at Il Tornabuoni, with about 20 invited guests, including several renowned international wine journalists, masters of wine…and surprisingly: yours truly!
The initial tasting of Trefiano started with the latest 2019 vintage and regressed over four decades ending up with the 1988 vintage.
Following this engaging five magnum encounter, a splendid five course dinner was served along with six further wines from the Capezzana estate.
Trefiano Riserva is made from selected grapes of Sangiovese, Cabernet, and Canaiolo from the vineyards surrounding the Renaissance Villa di Trefiano. The first vintage of Trefiano, situated in the Carmignano DOCG area was in 1979. Carmignano was the first DOCG in the world and is included in the 1716 edict, issued by the grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de Medici, which represents the first written law for wine denominations. Cosimo III de Medici also introduced and experimented with many foreign grape varieties, including Cabernet, which was adopted in the Carmignano area and renamed “Uva Francesca” to create a wine that could ‘go a long way’.
N.B.Tenuta di Capezzana is one of the oldest wine estates in Italy. I visited there in June 2023 and my review was published on my website that September. I would suggest you refer to that article to discover the wines from this estate which are engaging, individual, historically unique and exceptionally well made, in addition to having amazing quality to price ratio.
Tasting notes:
Trefiano Riserva 2019 (40th anniversary)
Deep ruby red in colour with Indian ink undertones. Aromatics of dark blue florals, including violet and hyacinth together with dark fruits and peppery spice. Dark cherry, plum, tree bark, distant, liquorice and citrus peel. Warm entry. Saline infused energy, medium to full bodied. Tannings showing a little tension. Polished and juicy. Medium length on the finish.
Points 93 TW
Trefiano Riserva 2012
Deep purple in colour with inky undertones. Aromas of ripe and forward black berry fruits,
liquorice, mellow balsam, tarmac, cedar shavings, pomegranate, mint and dark spice. Cool entry, lightly textured, complex layered minerality. Berry character. Tapers a little following mid palate to a long close.
Points 92 TW
Trefiano Riserva 2008
Deep ruby red in colour with purple undertones. Dark blue florals of violet, iris and distant lavender, along with tangy spice. Blackberry, blueberry, damson, loganberry, floral underbrush, blood orange and cigar box notes. Cool entry expands rapidly in all directions showing great energy. Fine rounded tannins. Fresh pinpoint acidity. Juicy. Agile. Medium length on the close.
Points 93+ TW
Vittorio Contini Bonacossi
Trefiano 1998
Dense ruby red in colour with Indian ink integration. Notes of vegetal awareness, humus and damp forest floor. Blackcurrant, blueberry, dark chocolate, prune, citrus peel and loganberry. Warm entry expands across the palate, showing light, textured energy. Good weight and volume. Just keeps pumping dark berries through its veins. Notes of seashell minerality and blue florals on the close. A touch under full bodied. Unusually this wine benefits from plenty of aeration. Considering it is 25 years of age, the green notes on the nose have ‘blown off” after about 30 minutes from serving. A complex wine. Incredible freshness and energy. Remarkable.
Points 95 TW
Villa di Trefiano
Carmignano 1988
Medium to dark ruby red in colour with slight amber hue on the rim. Compact fruit aromas welcome you to the bouquet, distant influence of yellow florals of buttercup and daffodil. Prune, dried fig, plum, redcurrant, toasted sweet tobacco, praline, poached rhubarb, toffee and white pepper, all play a part on the palate. Mid weight. Noticeable coffee bean aromas on the close. This wine is a testament to longevity. It just keeps on giving.
Points 93 TW
My sincere thanks to Filippo Contini Bonacossi and his family for such memorable, engaging and interesting experience.
© Tony Wood Italian Wine 2024