Bordeaux Varietal Wines from Renowned Winemaking Regions
We are thrilled to include two extraordinary wines from Italy and Sonoma County in your February Vigneron Collection shipment: The 2020 Tenuta di Arceno Il Fauno di Arcanum Toscana IGT and 2021 Zeitlos Sealift Pinot Noir.
Toscana, Italy 2020
The 2020 Il Fauno di Arcanum is an elegant Bordeaux-style blend with a strong backbone. The warm days and cold nights during the 2020 growing season ushered in a near-perfect harvest in Tuscany. Abetted by clay-enriched soil with good water retention, the grapes ripened to an optimal state. On the nose, this wine reveals aromas of juicy, fresh strawberries and raspberries, with hints of menthol. The palate is filled with flavors of ripe plums and bright cherries as well as hints of rose and honeysuckle. Lively acids frame chewy tannins, setting up a long and spicy finish with nutmeg, black licorice, white pepper, and tobacco. This beautifully layered wine, which reflects the estate’s diversity, can be savored for many years to come.
West Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County 2021
An expression of true artistry from vine to bottle, the 2021 Zeitlos Pinot Noir embodies a classic representation of German-inspired winemaking from extraordinary California terroir. Each bottle was crafted with minimal intervention, resulting in a pure expression of the extreme and rugged West Sonoma Coast AVA. A perfumed nose of tart cherry, red currant, and spice introduces a palate with lively acidity and beautifully integrated tannins. The oak balances the fresh red fruits and concentrated blackberry compote, leading to a lingering finish of subtle forest floor. German for “timeless,” Zeitlos wines are crafted to withstand time and garner appreciation across generations.
Tenuta di Arceno Il Fauno di Arcanum Toscana IGT
Il Fauno di Arcanum is a Bordeaux-style blend that embodies the diversity of the estate and is sourced primarily from the Arceno di Sotto, La Curva, Colombaio and San Giovanni blocks. Located in the lower southwest section of the estate, in a warmer, exposed subsection that ripens early, the soils possess a significant amount of clay, with good water retention, and produce wines that tend to be more voluptuous and lush.
The nose reveals aromas of juicy fresh strawberries and raspberries with hints of menthol. The palate is filled with flavors of
ripe plums and bright cherries as well as floral tones of rose and hints of honeysuckle. Chewy tannins are framed by lively
acids. The finish is long and spicy with notes of nutmeg and black licorice, followed by lingering white pepper and tobacco.
Zeitlos Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Grapes were picked and sorted by hand. Native fermentation took place in individual 2-ton batches in open top fermenters for about 10 days with 30% kept whole-cluster. Barrel-aging was completed in German and Austrian barriques for 12 months with 50% new barriques. After barrel-aging, the wine was then aged in stainless steel for 6 months prior to bottling, unfined and unfiltered.
This Pinot Noir showcases unmatched elegance and finesse, grown in the extreme conditions along the Sonoma Coast. A stand-out wine with fresh raspberry and pomegranate on the nose that carries over into the well-structured palate. Notes of forest floor, conifer and fresh rain are balanced by warm spice and backbone of bright acid. A timeless wine that will age gracefully for the next 10 years.