Tucked into the northeastern corner of Italy, Friuli-Venezua Giulia (simply known as Friuli) is celebrated for its zingy and zesty white wines.  An ancient species of vine cultivated in Friuli for centuries.  Pinot Grigio thrives in its natural habitat in the “Grave” area, where Benvolio is grown.  The grave del Friuli region has predominately gravelly soil and sand, and benefits from a complex combination of weather systems, with warm air from the Adriatic and cool night breezes from the mountains.  These are ideal conditions for grapes to mature slowly to perfect ripeness, providing full flavors and rich texture while retaining balancing acidity.

Our grapes grow in vineyards located along the cool hillsides of the Alps and the Austrian border.  This allows for more sun exposure and superior drainage.  The cool temperatures of the region contribute to the lively acidity found in our wines.  This Pinot Grigio is masterfully grown and estate-bottled by close friends of ours and perfectly reflects its terroir of Grave del Friuli.

Pinot Grigio 2006
Delicate nuances of wild flowers, rosewater and lychee on the nose, with apple and pear flavors on the palate.  Dry, crisp and full-bodied with refreshing acidity and a clean finish.

The Tenuta di Arceno estate lies in the hills of the Chianti region in central Tuscany between Florence and Siena, near Castelnuovo Berardenga.   The name is derived from the Estruscan word “Arché,” meaning point of origin – a nod to the estate’s fortunate location nestled between the Ambra River, which flows to Florence, and the Ombrone River, which flows to the Mediterranean.  Tenuto di Arceno specializes in Super Tuscans – a high-quality wine that falls outside of the official Italian classification of wines for the region.

A History of the Super Tuscan
With a wine-making history reaching back at least 600-years, no place is as traditional as Tuscany. In the 1880s, the Baron Bettino Ricasoli decreed an official recipe for Chianti that included Sangiovese, another red grape called Canaiolo Nero, and, to soften and sweeten the wine in cooler years, the white grapes Malvasia and Trebbiano. Leap forward to the 1960s and Chianti is on hard times, its reputation hurt by greedy producers trying to make too much wine. A group of young Chianti producers decided to shake things up by ignoring Ricasoli's old recipe. They wanted to grow better Sangiovese, drop the white grapes and - to the horror of traditionalists - add such French Bordeaux grapes as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

These new wines were fabulous-quickly creating a sensation. But the traditionalists were firm: They couldn't be called Chianti, and they couldn't be listed under Italy's two most prestigious quality categories, DOC and DOCG. What irony: these amazing, ground-breaking wines had to be called "vino da tavola," or table wines - the same category as Italy's cheapest, most modest wines. The term “Super Tuscan” was coined by an unknown English journalist in the 1960s to describe this new generation of fabulous Tuscan wines. Now, a generation later, the tradition-based wine laws are catching up with reality. A new wine-labeling category, IGT (an Italian acronym for "Indication of Geographical Type") permits broad variations under the regional label "Toscano" or "Toscana" ("Tuscan").  Thankfully, to the benefit of Italian wine lovers the world over, the Super Tuscan is here to stay.
 
Lawrence Cronin, Winemaker
Lawrence was born in New York City to an Italian mother and an Irish father. His Italian roots run deep in the small town of Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily where his family history can be traced back hundreds of years. Adjacent to the small town's Castello is his family's house. It was in the cellar of this family home that he made his first attempt at winemaking.  Cronin began his professional winemaking career in 1995 when he came to work at Edmeades, one of Jess Jackson's prestigious California wineries located in the Anderson Valley. At Edmeades, Cronin specialized in handcrafted, unfiltered Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah. His work there continued until 2002 when he was offered the position of winemaker at Tenuta di Arceno in Tuscany, Italy.

Arcanum
With its root in the Etruscan language, Arcanum represents the estate's heritage which stretches back to the eighth century B.C. when wine was first introduced to the region of Tuscany. This rich past finds its voice within each bottle from the Arcanum series.

Arcanum I 2003
Rich and extracted, this dark ruby red Cabernet Franc based Super Tuscan has aromas of cassis, Earth, vanilla, and ripe black cherries. Lush and opulent, the wine fills the palate with a generous spicy black currant fruit accented by layers of cedar and tobacco. A long, lingering mineral finish, with delicate mouth-filling tannins is dominated by flavors of cherries, sweet dark chocolate, and a slight hint of wild mint.

Arcanum II 2003
Brilliant and garnet red….this Merlot based Super Tuscan attacks the senses with aromas of plums and black currants, slowly giving way to floral tones and a hint of coconut. Plump, lush, balanced…the wine has elegant, velvety, rolling tannins that softly seduce the mouth, setting the stage for an explosion of sweet black cherries and licorice. Gently, the subtle depths of cacao appear and the wine shows a tantalizingly cinnamon spice finish.

Ataison 2002/2003
100% Sangiovese.  Tenuta di Arceno pays tribute to Sangiovese's long history as the signature grape of Tuscany with Ataison, sourced from the superb La Porta vineyard.

PrimaVoce 2004
Named for the leading voice in an opera, expresses the richness of the Tuscan terroir and the continuing legacy of the Tenuta di Arceno estate. This blend balances the reserved nature of Merlot with the vivaciousness of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chianti Classico 2005
Taking the essence of the Cypress trees surrounding our vineyards, the nose begins with hints of a resinous forest quality and gives way to aromas of cherries and spice with a slight hint of pipe tobacco on the finish. Layers of orange peel and lemon candy citrus notes along with candied cherry flavors dominate the mouth. These fruit flavors slowly surrender to a lingering finish of licorice and tobacco.

Chianti Classico Riserva 2004
Chianti has been produced for centuries in the hills of Tuscany, the finest of which has generally come from within the Chianti Classico region. Our vineyards, some of the finest in this sub-appellation, are meticulously farmed to produce fruit at low yields and of high quality. Though our practices may be modern, our Chianti Classico Riserva is a tribute to the history of production in this region and represents our commitment to crafting this traditional wine at the highest level of quality.