2018 Tenuta Di Arceno Chianti Classico Riserva
2018 Tenuta Di Arceno Chianti Classico Riserva Legendary small yields for the 2018 vintage produced intense, concentrated, and powerful wines with vibrant acidity, despite such a warm year. The aromas are dominated by ripe raspberry fruit and candied apples, followed by floral notes and nutmeg. The powerful nose gives way to an elegant balance of expressive fruit. The palate follows with tart cherry pie, red licorice, and sweet tobacco. A long finish shows hints of cedar and cypress. It will be extraordinary to experience this wine’s evolution in the cellar and it is expected to age gracefully.
Tenuta Di Arceno
Tenuta di Arceno’s history stretches back to the time of the Etruscans who dominated central Italy prior to the formation of the Roman Empire. The first traces of the mysterious and extraordinary Etruscan civilization appear in the 8th century B.C. The Ambra river, which flows to Florence, and the Ombrone river, which flows to the Mediterranean, formed the nucleus of the ancient civilization. Still today these two important rivers flow on either side of the Tenuta di Arceno estate. Located at the historical birthplace of its culture, it is not surprising to find that the word Arceno has as its root, the Etruscan word arché meaning origin point.
According to historians, wine was introduced to the Etruscans by the Greeks around 700 B.C. It soon became widely enjoyed and was even exported to various regions of the Mediterranean after the Etruscans began stopping their wine containers with cork. From this time of beginnings and innovation, a rich history of wine-making tradition was born. Following its growth through the ages, we eventually arrive at the present and the region now known as Tuscany.
The Tenuta di Arceno estate lies in the hills of the Chianti region in central Tuscany between Florence and Siena, near Castelnuovo Berardenga. Tuscany is home to Italy’s most renowned wines.
From its roots in the Etruscan civilization, its ownership by the wealthy and respected Taja family, its sale to one of the most illustrious families of Siena, the Piccolominis, and finally to its acquisition by Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke in 1994, the history of Tenuta di Arceno unfolds, long and sinuous in time. The people who live and work there today are only the most recent link to ancient traditions, which should be conserved and respected.