Arcanum 2014 Red
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From The Winemaker
From a single high-elevation estate in Castelnuovo Berardenga, the southernmost and warmest corner of Chianti Classico, Arcanum is a Super-Tuscan that deliberately breaks with tradition. The project was conceived by Jess Jackson, founder of Kendall-Jackson, who spent years searching Europe for a site where Bordeaux varieties could achieve elegance without losing ripeness. At Tenuta di Arceno he found it — limestone hillsides and long growing seasons — and instead of planting Sangiovese, he built the wine primarily around Cabernet Franc, selecting individual vineyard parcels and reserving only the most complete lots for Arcanum.
The 2014 vintage, shaped by a cooler and longer growing season, leans into precision rather than sheer power. Aromas unfold slowly: dried rose petal, graphite, cedar, and fresh herbs, followed by black cherry and cassis. The palate is composed and architectural, with fine tannins and lifted acidity carrying savory mineral notes. Tobacco leaf, crushed stone, and restrained oak linger through a long, polished finish.
Now entering a graceful drinking window, the wine shows why Jackson pursued the site so obsessively. The cooler year highlights Cabernet Franc’s aromatic complexity and balance — less opulent than many Super-Tuscans, and closer to the poise of Right Bank Bordeaux, yet still marked by the warmth and clarity of Tuscany. Structured, layered, and mature enough to enjoy without waiting, it reveals the original idea behind Arcanum: a Bordeaux-inspired wine defined not by power, but by place.
Score
94 points, James Suckling.
