2003 ``Arcanum,'' by Tenuta di Arceno, Toscana (cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot): black raspberries and black plums; big, rich, generous and spicy with tart finish; $95. Miami Herald July 20, 2006 WINE Wandering but grounded, he's `a servant of the soil' Fred Tasker ftasker@MiamiHerald.com Pierre Seillan seems a little too down-to-earth to be a globe-trotting, jet-setting ''Flying Winemaker'' -- one of those charismatic characters who flits about the world running winemaking operations at a dozen wineries in half a dozen countries. But he seems like one to his wife, Monique, who says she seldom sees him at their homes in California and France. ''If his mistress were a woman, I could compete with that,'' she sighs. ``But his mistress is his job. What can I do?'' Seillan began to wander in 1997 after 30 years of winemaking in France's Bordeaux region. That's when he met Jess Jackson, who, with his wife and fellow lawyer, Barbara Banke, has create a far-flung empire of wine operations in the United States, France, Italy, Chile and Australia, including notably Kendall-Jackson in California. The winemaking styles of Jackson and Seillan proved sympathetic, and Seillan today oversees red wine operations at several of Jackson's wineries as consultant or winemaker. He makes a red wine called ''Le Désir,'' a blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, at Jackson's Vérité winery near Healdsburg in California's Sonoma Valley. He makes the red wine called ''Arcanum,'' of the same grapes, at Jackson's Tenuta di Arceno, in Italy's Tuscany region. Now Jackson and Seillan have teamed up to buy Chteau Lassgue, a 60-acre grand cru vineyard and winery in Bordeaux's Saint-Emilion region. ''Saint-Emilion is the most serious appellation in Bordeaux,'' Seillan says. ``It's not one of your generic Bordeaux areas.'' Seillan and Jackson were impressed with the vineyard's limestone soils, which give wine that French hint of minerality, and its perfect southwest sun exposure, which is crucial to getting grapes fully ripe. There's also a beautiful old chteau on the property, where the Seillans live part of the year. At the chteau, Seillan is turning out two wines from different plots with different soils. One is $35, the second is $50. Neither is a ''second wine,'' he insists, simply ``another wine.'' Reflecting Seillan's style, both are subtle wines based on merlot, with a French restraint and minerality. ''I am a servant of the soil,'' he says. ``It's not the other way around. I want wines that are fruity, with power but finesse and elegance, not too much tannic astringency.'' Visiting Miami, Seillan also was showing off wines he has made at Jackson's Verité and Tenuta di Arceno wineries. Both show his subtle touch, his ability to create intensity and complexity without bombast. And next year -- maybe later -- Monique hopes to slow down her flying winemaker and spend more time in France, fixing the plumbing and redoing the paint on their 18th century chteau. ''It needs repair, but all the money must go into the wine,'' she says, sighing again. ``Someday . . . ''

“The best is the Arcanum II ’02, Merlot-based blend, with small additions of Cabernet and Sangiovese. Good ripe aromas of cherry and strawberry, with nuances of chocolate and coffee; on the palate is a soft, round sensation, with silky tannins and a pleasant fullness.

“Arcanum I ’02, Cabernet Franc-based blend, with small additions of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, has a fresh bouquet with a pleasant mint and aromatic herb aromas, a fluid and smooth body, with a good alcohol-acidity balance, and a long juicy finish. “

Complex and medium-bodied. Ripe raspberry, pomegranate and blueberry flavors. Notes of leather and anise.

From Jess Jackson's mountain estates, and still fairly tannic. Packed with spicy black fruit, reflects its home terrior to a T. Hold for 2-3 years.

Complex and full-bodied. Integrated tannins. Rich blackberry and cherry flavors. Notes of coffee, chocolate and licorice.

Earthy, with stemmy cola, herb and cherry flavors…

Led by an ample dose of well-ripened cherries in its deep, lightly toasty aromas, this substantial young wine follows with nicely concentrated, ripe-fruit flavors and sports the lush, slightly velvety feel of top-shelf Pinot. Markedly firmer on the latter palate and finishing with a bit of evident acidity pushing forward, the wine seems certain to grow with age and should be tagged for three or four years of cellaring.

Brightly focused with fine fruit, medium body and a long subtle finish, this is an excellent example of the pinots which are bringing Russian River Valley to the forefront for the variety.

A lighter-style wine than the others in this category, the Stonestreet Pinot was lean, smoky and peppery where its companions were lush and fruity, though tasting young, it's a well-structured wine that should gain depth and complexity with age. "So good you want to drink it by itself," was one taster's comment.

It won gold at the Harvest Fair. A wine with great potential. It's tart, tannic, still rough around the edges, but has ripe, deep plum fruit.

Rather tangy, spicy style with some authority- good balance. (Also appeared in 9/98 issue.)

While its clean, fruity, mid-sized aromas seem simple and straightforward, this wine shows a reasonable measure of cherryish fruit on entry. It hints at succulence but is too soon directed by very evident acids. The flavors suggest some depth, but never expand much, and the wine is fairly hard at the finish. This one will definitely benefit from three or four years cellaring.

Dark color, concentrated ripe blackberry fruit, great black pepper and spice notes and surprisingly firm tannins to give it body.

A worthy successor to the '93...is fragrant with classic pinot perfume, silky and delicious on the palate.

The red wines are better than the whites & cover a lot of styles. You can order the '94 Stonestreet Russian Rvr. Pinot Noir ($58).

From its very dark color to its dense, tannin-laced flavors, this impresses as a bigger, sturdier, tougher wine than Pinot Noir is wont to be. Its very rich, very ripe aromas are long on sweet oak, but, like the ensuing flavors, they are less than fruity in their basic mien. Fairly full in body, moderately astrigent and eminently suited to service with heavier meat dishes, this brawny youngster demands at least a few years of quiet cellar time.

Richness piled upon richness is the story here as lovely oak becomes an equal partner to deep, well-ripened cherry and raspberry-like fruit in the nose, and the two continue their happy alliance in the wine's lavish, impressively stuffed flavors. Full, fleshy and almost fat in feel, the wine is never soft but is keenly balanced throughout and finishes with a very long and layered finish. Worthy of a prized place in the cellar, it is capable of growing for four or five years and might well last for twice that long.

Made of grapes from cool-climate vineyards in Carneros and Russian River Valley, it gets eight months of aging in French oak and is bottled unfiltered. It has the aroma of orange peel and is packed with dry, rich butter and raspberry flavors that mellow and become plummy as it warms.

A touch of earth with some cedar notes and gamy cherry plum flavors. Holds together on the finish where the flavors come together.

Big and earthy. Cherry and cassis flavors marry with earth and mushroom notes. Balanced and full-bodied with a powerful finish.

Forward toasted, slightly charred oak, herbal notes; medium fruit, vinous notes; firm tannins, big finish. Try with smoked duck breast, pasta with wild mushrooms.