Tenuta di Arceno: chasing perfection

Tenuta di Arceno, an ancient estate of 1,000 hectares in Castelnuovo Berardenga in Tuscany, is recognisable for a stunning alley of cypress trees that crosses the bottom of the property, framing the iconic Faun statue uphill.

Accessed by a stone tunnel that marks the entrance to the Arceno estate, guests are reminded of the estate’s history as a centre for winemaking which began in the 16th century.

Scroll down for Aldo Fiordelli’s 10 Tenta di Arceno tasting notes and scores

Of the 1,000ha, only 92 are planted with vines which climb from 300 metres to more than 500 metres in altitude, creating 10 distinct mesoclimates.

The remaining land is preserved for native vegetation, including 50ha of olive groves.

The Jackson link

In 1994, California wine visionaries Jess Jackson and his wife Barbara Banke purchased the estate and established Tenuta di Arceno.

Today, Jackson Family Wines is one of the leading wine companies in the world, with wineries and vineyards across California, Oregon, Italy, France, Australia, Chile and South Africa.

In the USA, the company owns and farms 5,660ha of vineyards – roughly double that of Italian appellations such as Franciacorta and Montalcino – and just over 1,660ha internationally.

Considered one of the most influential women in the wine business, Barbara Banke keeps a low profile despite her immense entrepreneurial success.

Passionate for horses, her filly Lady Aurelia has won at Ascot twice. It took 15 years of searching for the right place to produce fine wines in Italy before Jackson Family Wines purchased the Arceno estate, making Italy the second international region in which the Jackson family invested.

The winemaking team is headed by founding winemaker, Pierre Seillan who was pivotal in attaining perfect scores from Robert Parker 15 times for the group’s Vérité wines in Sonoma and is intent on repeating that success with his vision for Arcanum, the estate’s top IGT wine.

Usually based on Cabernet Franc with other Bordeaux varieties, we tasted the 2016 and it was exceptional. The first 100% Cabernet Franc Arcanum, it is due to be released in September.

Tenuta di Arceno: The terroir

Located near the fork of two rivers – the Ambra, which flows to the north towards Florence, and the Ombrone which flows to the south towards Grosseto – this area of Chianti Classico was formerly the nexus of the Etruscan civilisation.

Castelnuovo Berardenga is the southernmost village in the historical Chianti region, within the province of Siena, facing towards Crete senesi and Montalcino, producing one of the most powerful styles of the appellation. The soil is mostly based on clay, which explains the large and structured character of the wines.

Arceno enjoys a remarkable diversity of soils: clay, sandstone, basalt and hard schist, here called Galestro. They range from sediment-based near the riverbanks to extremely rocky at higher elevations. These stony soils have good drainage, hold nutrients for the vines, and give extra complexity, especially for the Sangiovese.

The vineyards face predominantly southwest, which protects the vines from the colder north wind and gives them the full glare of the sun’s rays throughout the day.

According to Michele Pezzicoli, Arceno’s vineyard manager, the average annual rainfall is 800-900mm, while the average temperature during the growing season is 28°C.

Being at the southernmost extreme of the Chianti region, Castelnuovo Berardenga lies on the boundary between the mediterranean climate in the southwest of Tuscany and the more continental climate of the heart of Chianti. Perhaps unsurprisingly, hailstorms and other extreme climatic phenomena are therefore more common here compared to the other villages of the appellation.

Separated into 63 distinct vineyard blocks, the vineyards are planted to 50% Sangiovese and 50% international varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 1996, the vineyard team conducted a detailed study of the soil, topography and climate to gain a complete understanding of the complexities of the land. The result is that each micro-cru features varieties, clones, rootstocks and viticultural practises best suited for its terroir. The micro-crus are also tended, harvested and vinified separately, each becoming a unique expression of its particular plot of land.

For example, the Valadorna vineyard, which is low and full of clay, is planted with 1% Merlot, while Strada al Sasso, the cru of the estate based on Sangiovese, is planted on the schist soils of the hill below San Gusmè village.

At the top of this hill above the Sangiovese, at 600 metres, the estate will plant its first Chardonnay vines next year.

‘Like a ghost’…

The winemaking is focused on definition of fruit, with a cold soak preceding gentle extraction and oak ageing. ‘Oak in wine should be like a ghost. You sense its presence, but you don’t actually perceive it,’ explains Seillan.

It is in the final stages of the winemaking process that various micro-crus come together to create the finished wines.

In the Chianti Classico, to be honest, the style of the blend with Sangiovese and Merlot tends to prevail over the terroir. The wine is supple and delicious, but it lacks the character of the Berardenga that you can taste in the Riserva and Gran Selezione.

In comparison, the single vineyards show a great expression of terroir even with international grapes such as Merlot or Cabernet Franc. Tasting the wines demonstrated how the team’s experience and the age of the vines is improving the quality of the wines.

‘I am a servant of the soil. The pure expression of each unique site has, from the beginning, defined my micro-cru philosophy,’ said Seillan.

Tasting Tenuta di Arceno wines:

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