The Trione family has been farming and selling grapes in Sonoma County for over forty years. They now own and farm over 650 vineyard acres in the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Sonoma Coast. In 2005, the family built Trione Vineyards & Winery near Geyserville, California. Winemaker Scot Covington uses three percent of Trione’s Estate grapes to produce their wines. Production is currently around 6,000 cases.
After tasting six of Trione’s current releases, the overarching themes that I continuously noted were consistently good quality and balance. I did not detect a trace of heat in any of these wines.
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Trione Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Date Tasted: 3/9/13
Price: $23.00
From The Winery: 14% Alcohol. River Road Ranch Vineyard, Russian River Valley AVA.
Impressions/Notes: This lively and zestful wine presents with a very pale straw color. The nose is chock-full of wild grasses and sliced jalapeños, but the flavors lean more towards fresh citrus fruits, specifically lemon and tangerine. Refreshing, balanced, and overall a nice expression of Sauvignon Blanc.
Rating: Recommended (88), 3/5 Value
Trione Chardonnay 2008
Date Tasted: 3/9/13
Price: $30.00
From The Winery: 14.3% Alcohol. River Road Ranch Vineyard, Russian River Valley AVA.
Impressions/Notes: Light gold in color, this Chardonnay features expressive aromas of honey melon, oak, spice, and lemon candy. A shade low on acidity, with a clinging aftertaste of toasted oak.
Rating: Recommended (87), 2.5/5 Value
Trione Pinot Noir 2008
Date Tasted: 2/7/13
Price: $35.00
From The Winery: 14.2% Alcohol. River Road Ranch Vineyard, Russian River Valley AVA.
Impressions/Notes: This garnet colored Pinot Noir is aromatic and has an airy, elegant presence. Fragrant red cherry, mulch, and dark chocolate aromas and flavors really pop, while the light and silky mouthfeel and impeccable balance take this wine to the next level. My favorite wine of the group and priced well at $35.00.
Rating: Highly Recommended (90), 3.5/5 Value
Trione Syrah 2008
Date Tasted: 2/7/13
Price: $32.00
From The Winery: 14.8% Alcohol. River Road Ranch Vineyard, Russian River Valley AVA.
Impressions/Notes: A very clean, balanced Syrah that provides an excellent expression of herbs and spices–particularly oregano, bay leaf, and mint. Black raspberry and menthol are also readily apparent on the nose and mouth. The fruit is a bit on the tart side (I’m ok with that), and there is a slight bitterness on the palate, followed by very fine tannins.
Rating: Recommended (88), 3/5 Value
Trione Cabernet Sauvignon Block Twenty One 2007
Date Tasted: 3/9/13
Price: $64.00
From The Winery: 14.5% Alcohol. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2.5% Petit Verdot, 2.5% Malbec. Cloverdale Ranch Vineyard, Alexander Valley AVA.
Impressions/Notes: Dark in color, this Zinfandel like-Cab presents with one of the loudest noses that I’ve come across. It’s absolutely loaded with raisiny fruit, cassis, and chocolate. There’s some sweetness on the palate, huge fruit, and sweet spices. Given the “huge fruit” and sweetness, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there’s enough acid to balance it out.
Rating: Recommended (88), 2/5 Value
Trione Red Wine 2007
Date Tasted: 3/9/13
Price: $48.00
From The Winery: 14.5% Alcohol. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (blend breakdown unknown). Alexander Valley AVA.
Impressions/Notes: The “Red Wine” blend may be more subdued that the Cabernet Sauvignon, but it’s still a big wine. I found the aroma/flavor profile to be a bit more complex, with blackberry, molasses, pencil shavings, red bell pepper, and damp earth. Black fruits, spice, and supple tannins fill the palate.
Rating: Recommended (89), 2.5/5 Value
Disclaimer–These wines were provided as samples by the winery.
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