Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum 2018

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 Points- It would be impossible to exaggerate the grandeur and majesty of the overachieving 2015 Arcanum. The blend is 74% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. This full-bodied wine is mostly defined by its texture that is exceedingly rich and smooth with significant infusions of blackberry, plum, spice, tobacco and cured leather. The wine achieves beautiful balance, yet it remains intense and powerful all the while.

From the winemaker- Arcanum is the pinnacle of the estate’s Toscana IGT offerings. Based on Cabernet Franc, the true signature of the estate, this remarkable wine is built to age yet is drinkable young, offering aromas of violets, roses and raspberries, with long and delicate spice notes; it is a wine that is seductive yet subtle. Arcanum is sourced primarily from the L’Apparita and Belvedere blocks of Cabernet Franc. With superb exposure and sandy clay soils, each year these blocks shine to produce the finest expression of the variety, and the leading wine of the estate.

HARVEST NOTES- The 2015 vintage was almost perfect for growing wine. The winter was wet, storing vital groundwater for the warmer months ahead. Bud break at the end of March was followed by ideal weather for flowering which produced a perfect crop size. The summer was dry and warm with plenty of sunshine, but not in excess. Necessary rainfall arrived in the first weeks of August without any other rain events until October, creating ideal conditions for harvest. This will be a vintage to remember for its opulence and elegance. Cabernet Franc thrives in every vintage at the estate, but in years like 2015 the variety’s character is reflective of the fruit and sun.

TASTING NOTES- The dark and intense fruit aromas jump out of the glass with ripe plums, blackberries on the vine, and tones of sweet mint. The mouthfeel is full, balanced by gentle acids and rich tannins. Flavors are reminiscent of dark chocolate covered cherries and spicy black pepper. The long finish shows cigar box and cedar spice. A vintage that will age well into the next decade.

Varietals- 74% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot