Price: $49.95 + refundable bottle deposit and handling fee
Varietal: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
Brand: Arcanum
LCBO Product #: 825489
LCBO:
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Category: Regular Consignment
Bottles Per Case: 12
Bottle Size: 750ml
Availability
Availability in consignment
Background
Arcanum hails from the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga in the southeast corner of Chianti Classico. Bordered by the ancient, walled town of San Gusmé, not far from Siena, it can trace its roots to the pre-Roman Etruscan civilization. The winery produces three Bordeaux-style blends featuring Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Climbing from 1,000 to 1,500 feet, the estate encompasses 10 different mesoclimates and 12 distinct soil types including galestro, the most prized of Tuscany. The 200+ acres of vines are broken into 63 small blocks planted to the varieties that best match the terroir. The estate’s variety of growing conditions ensures that, even within the confines of the region’s notorious vintage vagaries, specific blocks and varieties will shine every year.
Arcanum wines are made by Pierre Seillan, an international winemaker who has gained recognition for his work in Bordeaux and California. The winery produces three wines per vintage, each expressing a different aspect of the estate’s personality. Arcanum, the pinnacle of the three offerings, is primarily Cabernet Franc. The wine is rich, dense and luscious with exotic aromas of violets, roses and raspberries. The Merlot-based Valadorna is plush and structured with a strong sense of minerality in the finish. il fauno di Arcanum is a voluptuous Bordeaux-style blend that embodies the diversity of the estate.
Tasting Notes
Traditionally, cooler climate years in Tuscany create elegant and ethereal high tones of fruit. The nose explodes with bright raspberries and wild berries, with some floral tones of lavender. Though a Bordeaux-style blend, the palate is more Burgundian with soft elegant tannins and textures. The slightly higher than usual acids firmly frame a potpourri of blueberry and sour cherry. The fruit slowly subsides giving way to exotic spice, reminiscent of cardamom and finishing with sweet black licorice.