First taste: Tenuta Fratini – three new releases rated

There is a first time even for the greatest professionals, and the debut in Tuscany’s prestigious Bolgheri appellation of one of the wine world’s true authorities is creating much anticipation.

Eric Boissenot, consultant to the greatest châteaux in Bordeaux (Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, and Léoville Las Cases to mention but a few) is overseeing Tenuta Fratini – an ambitious new project aiming to positioning itself at the top of this Italian denomination.

Scroll down for notes and scores of four Tenuta Fratini wines, including three new releases

Boissenot is a rather reserved character, not easy to interview; humble in a positive sense, not very talkative, but certainly determined.

He declares to know and appreciate some Tuscan wines, mentioning mainly Montalcino: Siro Pacenti, Silvio Nardi, Poggio Antico, plus Valdipiatta in Tuscany’s Vino Nobile di Montepulciano region. It is his first time working in Bolgheri and was involved from the outset of the Fratini family’s investment.

‘I would have come even if the project hadn’t been defined from the outset,’ he explained during lunch at the estate. ‘There are several advantages to overseeing things from the beginning.’

He explains: ‘It has allowed us to plant suitable varieties, starting with Cabernet Franc, with a precision otherwise impossible. The second advantage is being able to develop the project over time.’

The Fratini family, headed by brothers Corrado and Marcello Fratini, is young but not new to the world of wine. In the early 2000s, they founded Tenuta Argentiera together with Marchese Piero Antinori. The brand became one of the most prestigious in Bolgheri, the Fratinis selling to the current owners in 2016.

Tenuta Fratini was founded in 2019, also in the southernmost part of Bolgheri, like Argentiera, but with a higher altitude. Of the property’s 1,000ha, only 20ha are vineyards.

And here is when the Boissenot vision first becomes obvious. ‘Of the 1,000ha, we’ve selected only small parcels, which is my working philosophy,’ he says. Plantings are mostly Cabernet Franc – between 75% and 80% – with about 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and about 5% Merlot. International viticultural specialists Pedro Parra and Xavier Chone consulted.

The Tenuta Fratini wines

In the cellar, Emiliano Falsini oversees the three wines: Clinio, Harte and Hortense. The 2021 Clinio is already on the market, and is a blend of Merlot (45%), Cabernet Franc (40%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%). Harte, a Bolgheri Superiore, is the second wine with 72% Cabernet Franc, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot; it is aged in 50% new French oak. Hortense, also Bolgheri Superiore, is the grand vin: 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, maturing in 60% new French barriques.

The wines are of impressive quality, especially in terms of tannins, with an elegant style and complexity. A stunning result considering most of the fruit comes from three-year-old vines.

So, what is Boissenot’s secret? The excellent 2021 vintage in Bolgheri lends itself to an important debut, officially scheduled for October 2024 when the bottles will hit the market. But this is only part of the truth.

The finesse and tannic precision of the Tenuta Fratini wines, in my opinion, is down to the viticulture. Boissenot has remained faithful to low yields even in a warmer area like Bolgheri. To maintain balance in the grapes at these yields, he irrigates the vineyards throughout the season and harvests early.

After careful selection of stems and berries, the grapes undergo a light two-day cold soak followed by pressing in concrete and fermentation with selected yeasts at 27°C to 28°C – about 10 days for alcoholic fermentation and five days of skin maceration. Then begins meticulous selection of the pressings. For the grand vin Hortense, for example, of 26hl of wine, 1.4hl (3.6%) is press wine.

A fresh approach

‘In Bordeaux, it would have been more difficult to produce such good wines immediately,’ Boissenot explains. ‘But it’s hotter in Bolgheri. So we need to be careful to avoid producing heavy wines.’

Co-owner Corrado Fratini told me: ‘We tasted all the wines of Bolgheri together with Eric and he understood that we wanted to avoid making easy, heavy wines. We wanted fresh ones. That’s why we also planted to the north.’ This fresh style could give Hortense a unique identity within Bolgheri.

For Boissenot, freshness is a crucial point for longevity. ‘I have never tasted aged Bolgheri,’ he tells me. ‘But that doesn’t mean ageing is a problem here. The important thing is to avoid the wines being tired from the start. And that begins with the grapes.’

If Boissenot has achieved such impressive results at Tenuta Fratini from third-leaf vines, what can we expect when they are 20 years old? ‘More complexity,’ he states. ‘And more power, but with grace. Something pleasant.’

Tenuta Fratini: First taste of the new releases

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