Trione Block Twenty-One Cabernet Sauvignon 2009: Inky purple color; dark fruits on nose that presages power on the palate; loaded with red and black currant, ripe cherry, dark plum, clove, spice—especially on the finish;
intense, dramatically powerful, concentrated flavors, grippy tannins that pleasingly relax with air; classic big-fruit, generous oak, Alexander Valley monster cab. Trione’s Block Twenty-One vineyard is located on their Cloverdale Ranch on the western flank of the Mayacamas Mountains, the northern part of the Alexander Valley. The Triones are into their third generation as grape farmers in the valley, reaching back to 1970 (patriarch Henry Trione settled in Santa Rosa in 1948, but he first earned money as a mortgage banker). Henry purchased the Cloverdale Ranch in 1973, his second vineyard acquisition, the same year the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce named him “businessman of the decade.” The Triones were grape farmers until they purchased Geyser Peak Winery in 1982, then founded Trione Winery in 2005 in Geyserville in the former Old Stone Winery building that dates back to 1908. Their tasting room and food-wine pairing events achieve rave reviews. This is must-taste effort for lovers of big, powerful Alexander Valley-Mayacamas Mountain cabs. $65-76
Winery website
Second photo: Old Stone Winery
