Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum Toscana IGT 2013

96+ Points, Parker’s Wine Advocate

For anyone who stopped by the restaurant the other week and saw a group of people ‘hard at work’ tasting a selection of old wines, this one was the absolute star of that tasting. I mean I was running around like a madman, but after smelling and ultimately taking a small sip, it made me stop for a second and appreciate what I was tasting. This is a gorgeous Bordeaux blend from a terrific vintage that was drinking amazingly. It had this silky texture to it, with red and black fruits that gave way to more herbal and spiced notes towards the end. What a beautiful and complex number. This still has so so much life ahead. What a treat.

This is the pinnacle of Tenuta di Arceno’s offerings: a Cabernet Franc-based blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot covering the other 30%. It’s a wine that’s viewed as one of the benchmarks for Cabernet Franc in Italy and one that rivals some of the best of the Right Bank and in 2013 both Sassicaia and Masseto. The Wine Advocate loved it all, everything from the nose that “exudes ripe berries and sweet vanilla toast” to the Cabernet tannins that are “long, soft and supple” with “potent underlying power, elegance and finesse.” This is perfectly aged, perfectly cellared and is so unique from everything else you’d expect to taste in Tuscany.