The 2009 Palazzi emerges from the glass with super-ripe dark fruit intermingled with floral overtones. The wine turns darker and positively explosive with time in the glass while retaining much of its understated personality. A final blast of dark red fruit frames the finish. The 2009 Palazzi is 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc that spent 7 months in neutral French oak. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029. Andrea Franchetti’s 2009s are stellar. The wines show gorgeous, expressive fruit with less of the extreme ripeness and heaviness of past years. In most years Franchetti picks extremely late, but in 2009 the vines reached full phenolic ripeness earlier than most years. Franchetti explains that the climate at Trinoro has become increasingly tropical, thus creating conditions that are more favorable for Merlot, hence his decision to reintroduce the Palazzi bottling in 2009. All three 2009s are stellar. Importer: T. Edward Wines, Ltd., New York, NY; tel. (212) 233-1504