TUSCANY DREAMING
A winemaker’s dream at historic Tenuta di Arceno in Chianti Classico
Ask founding winemaker Pierre Seillan about his vision for Tenuta di Arceno and he will say, “I didn’t have a goal, but I had a dream.” When Seillan first arrived at the estate in 1997, he could see it had world-class potential, but he knew it would take time.
Five years later, Seillan called his counterpart, Lawrence Cronin and sounded him out: “Do you want to be the winemaker here? We have a lot of work to do for the next 20 years,” he said. Just two days later, Cronin was on a plane from California to Tuscany.
What follows is a revolution in vineyard and wine quality, executed by a team that has worked together for two decades and benefits from nearly 80 years of combined winemaking experience around the world. Quality at a micro-cru level, considered avant-garde for the Chianti Classico region in the early 2000s, is the approach. Parcelling the estate into 63 individual blocks, each block was assessed for its potential.
Now, after 20 years of development, Tenuta di Arceno is at a pivotal moment in its history, releasing its two flagship IGT Toscana wines, Arcanum and Valadorna, as single varietals.
ARCANUM 2016
Arcanum 2016 is the estate’s first
100% Cabernet Franc bottling, and is set for release this September. Arceno’s Cabernet Franc plantings now encompass 17 hectares across 12 vineyard blocks in four different soil types, ranging in elevation from 400 to 600 meters. “The diversity of Cabernet Franc plantings and the ability to create distinct expressions of the grape, meant it was time for our Cabernet Franc to be made as a single varietal,” says Cronin.
VALADORNA 2018
With Valadorna, the evolution to 100% Merlot was a matter of time. “Right from the start, we understood the affinity between Merlot and the estate’s clay and limestone soils at Valadorna and Capraia vineyards. When the vines turned 20 years of age, they told us they were ready,” says Seillan, known for his talents with international varieties under his Vérité label from Sonoma County. “It was a dream to make 100% Merlot but in winegrowing the terroir always has the last word,” he adds. Set to release in 2024, Valadorna 2018 will be the first 100% Merlot from the estate.
Arcanum and Valadorna complement a third single varietal wine: Strada al Sasso Chianti Classico Gran Selezione has been crafted exclusively from Tuscany’s flagship Sangiovese grape since 2007. The potential here was always clear, in the heart of Chianti Classico. To taste the wines or visit the historic property, located 25 kilometers outside the city of Siena, contact info@ tenutadiarceno.com or visit the website at https://www.tenutadiarceno.com/.
UK importer: Fells & Sons and Oenofuture
USA importer: Jackson Family Wines
“Quality at a micro-cru level is the approach”