Winemaker Notes
Arcanum is the pinnacle of the estate’s 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 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.
Blend: 73% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Arcanum is a blend of 73% Cabernet Franc with smaller parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Franc element is obviously strongest, and you get steely notes of black fruit follow by wild sage and rosemary oil. This is a powerful and thickly layered red wine that pushes the boundaries of extract and intensity, especially for a Tuscan red wine. Off the top of my head, I can count maybe ten wines from the region that take on such a full-bodied and opulent approach. This wine should age forward for many years to come.
Rating: 96+ -
James Suckling
Juicy and chewy with lots of dark fruit, dark chocolate and hints of walnuts. Full-bodied. Still needs to soften a little. Mainly cabernet franc. Try in 2020.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.