The Tenuta di Arceno estate dates back to the 16th century and is located in the southernmost region of Chianti Classico, within the commune of Castelnuevo Berardenga. The estate encompasses 2,500 acres, but only 220 acres are planted to vineyards. Tenuta di Arceno produces six wines, three Chianto Classico DOCG wines and three Toscana IGT wines. All of the wines are estate grown and bottled. Plantings include Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot varietals. These wines are a level above other Italian producers and are considered a ‘contemporary” in style.
This wine is composed of 45% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petite Verdot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The purple-garnet rim of this wine glistens. The spice-accented aromas reveal layers of red raspberry preserves, kirsch and wild strawberries that greet you at the entry. Within the background is saddle leather, sweet oak and a swath of fresh acidity. The freshness comes from the Cabernet Franc, which adds another dimension to the wine. The wine is not weighty, but instead driven by finesse and overall enjoyment.

Holiday Gift Guide 2022: Best California Reds In Large Format Bottles
Prefer something with a bit of age? This wine already has a decade in the bottle, which leaves it softer and plusher than some of the young guns on this list. Winemaker Chris Carpenter fermented the juice with native yeast in a combination of open- and closed-top stainless steel tanks before aging in mostly new French oak. Deep dark blackberries, chocolate and licorice make for a luxurious glass — decant with care. But if you’re patient, this Howell Mountain fruit has a few more decades up its sleeve.

Medium deep crimson. Lifted dried roses strawberry graphite aromas with hint of musky notes. Well-balanced wine with voluminous strawberry raspberry, musky plum fruits. Fine loose knit chalky textures, superb mid-palate density and integrated mineral acidity. Superb layered wine with wonderful fruit complexity and energy. Drink now - 2034.

Medium deep crimson. Medium-powered wine with redcurrant, raspberry, blueberry aromas with flinty complexity. Sweet fruited palate with strawberry, red currant, raspberry pastille fruits, fine lacy tannins, some good mid-palate viscosity with a touch of mocha and integrated acidity before finishing gravelly firm. Drink 2024 – 2032.

Medium crimson. Dried roses, strawberry apricot nectarine aromas with hints of sesame ,roasted walnut. Beautiful strawberry apricot, hint raspberry pastille flavours, fine loose knit chalky tannins with al dente textures and beautiful quartz-like acidity finishing with a feathery plume. Very minerally with lovely fruit complexity and torque. Drink now – 2040.

Pale medium colour. Waxy, grilled nut, apricot aromas with shellac notes. Beautifully concentrated apricot nectarine, grilled nut flavours, some waxy notes, fine loose knit chalky / al dente textures and fresh indelible acidity. Precise, richly flavoured and crunchy. Drink now – 2028.

Medium deep crimson. Blackcurrant, blackberry, graphite aromas with mocha, roasted chestnut notes. Beautifully concentrated wine with plentiful cassis, blackberry, graphite, fine gravelly textures and integrated mocha, roasted chestnut, vanilla oak. Finishes chocolatey with ample sweet fruit notes. Gently vigorous with superb fruit complexity and mineral length. 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Shiraz. Drink 2024–2038.

Deep crimson. Classic blackcurrant, dark chocolate with roasted almond, roasted chestnut notes. Inky deep wine with beautiful blackcurrant pastille, roasted chestnut flavours, fine grainy textures and underlying cedar notes. Finishes chalky firm with seductive sweet fruit notes. A highly individual style with superb definition, fruit complexity, concentration and oak handling. 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec. Maturation for around 16 months in 50% new and seasoned French oak barriques. Drink now–2034.

Pale colour. Lemon curd, grapefruit, hint graphite waxy aromas. Well concentrated grapefruit hint nectarine pear skin flavours, supple slinky / al dente textures, lovely mid-palate richness and fresh long cutting acidity. Very refreshing and complex – an amazing wine. Drink now – 2030.

Medium deep crimson. Fragrant pure blackberry, musky plum aromas with underlying vanilla notes. Well-concentrated and ultra-ripe blackberry, spicy/ hint of clove flavours, some stone fruit notes, fine loose knit chalky textures, very good mid-palate volume and underlying vanilla, mocha complexity before finishing slinky and long. Plush fruit, elegant structure; a fascinating wine. Drink now–2030.

This charming, nutty Chardonnay from Gran Moraine makes a strong case for white wine in winter. It features hazelnut and butterscotch aromas, juicy peaches and cream flavors, punchy minerality, and lovely oily texture. Pair this bright gold stunner with a succulent halibut bake.

Obtained from the grapes of the Valadorna and Capraia vineyards, Tenuta di Arceno's Valadorna is mainly a Merlot (with small additions of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon), aged for 12 months in barriques, mostly new. Its aromatic baggage is wide and varied which refers to black fruits, cedar, aromatic herbs, tobacco and spices. In the mouth, the sip is juicy and well profiled, with a resolved and basically fine tannic texture, solid and enveloping development and a deep, persistent and balsamic finish. Near Castelnuovo Berardenga, the "capital" of the southernmost sub-area of ​​the Chianti Classico appellation, is the Arceno Estate (92 hectares of vineyards for a total of 250,000 bottles), owned by America (Kendall-Jackson Group, who acquired it in 1994 among the first realities outside California) and with Bordeaux technical guidance with some Californian nuances in the hands of Pierre Seillan - creator of Verité Winery in Sonoma and first active in Saint-Emilion - and of the Italian-American Lawrence Cronin. From here come well-centered labels of impeccable workmanship: from the Chianti Sangiovese declined with a soberly modern style and with the centered objective of not distorting their personality and character, to the Bordeaux-style blends and purities, made with equal restraint and refinement, as well demonstrate our taste.

Christmas Cheer in a Bottle
From an estate newly promoted to Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé status, an elegant wine worthy of any festive board.

The 2020 Syrah from Ex Post Facto is lovely at this youthful stage, made without new oak and sourced mainly from the Santa Maria Valley (although moving forward, winemaker Greg Brewer says fruit will come instead from the Sta. Rita Hills). Medium ruby-purple, it offers blackcurrants, dried red cherries and incredible natural spice, like black licorice, cocoa powder, cracked pepper and lilac. The palate is stunning, offering powerful, spicy fruit supported by generous freshness and powdery tannins, and it finishes with great length and definition. Wow!

The Diatom 2021 Chardonnay has inviting poached pears, quince and lemongrass aromas with touches of baker's yeast, honeycomb and acacia. The medium-bodied palate balances generous, exotic fruits and a touch of textural grip with bright waves of acidity, finishing long and flavorful. This Chardonnay is dynamic and so delicious!

The 2020 Chardonnay 3D features delicate, precise aromas this vintage: lemongrass, candied citrus and white peach are complemented by deeper wafts of matchstick and honeycomb. Medium-bodied, its generous, ripe citrus flavors are enlivened by bursts of mouthwatering acidity and anchored by a gentle textural grip, and it finishes with exotic, alluringly herbal flavors and great length. Such a singular expression this vintage!

Medium ruby, the 2020 Pinot Noir Machado is scented of pomegranate and blueberry with tones of aniseed, prosciutto, bergamot and cracked pepper. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh with concentrated fruits and lots of layers across the finish. It feels a bit wound and fruit-forward at this early stage and will benefit from a few more years in bottle.

The 2020 Pinot Noir Hapgood is especially elegant this vintage. Pale ruby-purple, it features red cherries, blood orange, lavender, tea leaves and prosciutto on the nose. Light-bodied, fresh and energetic, the palate offers loads of layers and powdery tannins, finishing long and detailed. It may have more to give with another 2-3 years in bottle.