Tenuta di Arceno is the lone Italian winery in the Kendall Jackson Family Portfolio. Despite it’s connection with the new world, Arceno’s roots extend back far beyond the Jackson acquisition.
The first recordings of Tenuta di Arceno date to the year 1504 when the Del Taja’s, an Etruscan family, began purchasing plots that comprise the modern day estate. For centuries they farmed the property and sold their grapes to prominent wine-making families. During the 1800’s, the estate was sold to the Piccolomini family from Montalcino. Then in 1994, Jess Jackson purchased the estate.
~ The Arceno estate boasts several different outbuildings including the winery and aging cellar ~
Tenuta di Arceno spans almost 2,500 acres, of which 220 are planted to vineyards. Soil and elevation vary greatly, with the latter shifting by almost 1,000 feet at its extremes and the former consisting of clay, sandstone and basalt. During the estate replanting, extensive vineyard analysis was conducted and many different micro climates were identified.
The estate is located near Castelnuovo Berardenga in the southern most part of Chianti Classico. As a result of the exposure and lower elevation, the wines from this commune are typically riper and bolder then their northern counterparts. This contributes greatly to the style of Arceno’s wines.
I’ve written quite a bit of Arceno’s wines in the past. Some very positively, some less so. That being said, my issues have centered around the style of the wines. The southerly, lower lying Castelnuovo Berardenga already provides Chianti Classico of greater color, ripeness and structure. It seems to me that Arceno has amplified these traits where they don’t need to. As a result, the wines seem overdone and lack typicity.
~ One of the unique features of the estate is a circular vineyard ~
The subject of this article is the estate’s newest wine; its Gran Selezione. I admit to approaching this wine with a sort of guarded optimism. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe their goal is different for this wine than their Chianti Classico. Maybe they’re listening to writers like me? Regardless, this wine is different and to me, atypical of the producer’s style.
The 2016 Tenuta di Arceno Strada al Sasso Gran Selezione is sourced from a single vineyard and is 100% Sangiovese. The stated goal of the winery is to produce a wine of significant structure and they have succeeded.
In the glass the color is a deep purple with violet reflections. Black plum and black cherry aromas are accented with toasted spice and coffee notes. There’s also a hint of toasted fennel seed. On the palate, the wine is brooding. Large scaled tannins mask the fruit slightly at the moment even while decanted. Crushed red cherry, toasted spice, coffee and tobacco notes hint at an interesting evolution. The wine is lively and juicy with plenty of sapid acidity. The “Stone Street” Gran Selezione is vinified in stainless steel and then aged for 10-16 months in new French Oak. This wine used to be a Chianti Classico Riserva but was elevated to Gran Selezione status beginning with the 2016 vintage. 92 points. Good value in the GS category. Find this wine.
~ This is a large framed Gran Selezione that will need at least 8-10 years to show its best personality ~
It’ll be interesting to see where the style and evolution takes this wine. Salute!
It’s funny, sometimes I just can’t connect with a well regarded producer. Tenuta di Arceno is one of these producers. I’ve never tasted the GS subject to this article, but the wines I have tasted always seemed ‘hot’ to me, somehow slightly harsh in flavor. I’ve always attributed this to the winery’s low elevation, but really I’m not an expert:) I’ll try to find this wine and give it a try.
Steve, this is exactly my point. Their Sangiovese wines up until now have not impressed me. They are allowed to get too ripe and with Castelnuovo being further south and lower in altitude, it’s not necessary. This wine was different. Fresher. Would not be my first choice from the area, but given the owner is a large US company, these wines have excellent distribution and availability. One last point I would make is that they use French barriques. If this wine were in botte or larger tonneaux even, I bet you it would be better. That spice from the oak could also be what you are picking up as “hot” because the alcohol is a reasonably 14.5%
I’m not good with wine words, but if I was describing the taste of Tenuta di Arceno wine in color terms I’d say monochromatic. And I hate to be sort of PC, but I wonder if ownership by a giant American company helps distribution but hurts the wine. And I promise to look for the GS to give them a chance to earn my business, seems like a reasonable thing to do.
Monolithic. Same thing. I agree with you.