November 2023 Shipment
Old World and New World “Micro-Cru
We are delighted to send you two critically acclaimed wines: The 2017 Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum Toscana IGT and the 2019 Lassègue Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. These selections are perfect to embrace autumn’s cooler days and to accompany your holiday feasts. The final blends include the most extraordinary lots, encapsulate the finest reflection of their respective estate terroirs, and hold impressive aging potential.
Toscana, Italy 2017
The 2017 Arcanum is Tenuta di Arceno’s pinnacle offering, a 100% Cabernet Franc wine derived from 12 estate blocks, each defined by its own micro-cru and superb exposure on sandy clay soils, ideally suited to the variety. Vigneron Pierre Seillan and Winemaker Lawrence Cronin blend different notes from the various micro-crus to give architecture to the wine, using the vineyard's diverse palette. The 2017 vintage, marked by hot summer days and abundant sunshine, accelerated the ripening of the Cabernet Franc. As summer gave way to fall, Tuscany experienced moderate rainfall and cool evenings, allowing the grapes ample time on the vine. This wine is built to age yet can be enjoyed in its youth, offering a luscious palate of fresh blueberries, dark chocolate, and salted caramel. It has a long, elegant finish with hints of licorice, cedar, and tobacco.
Bordeaux, France 2019
The 2019 Lassègue Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is a Merlot-led blend, complemented by an ample portion of Cabernet Franc and a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. Situated on an extension of the Côte de Saint-Émilion, Château Lassègue’s old vines grow on hills of clay and limestone soils that add exquisite minerality to the fruit. Vignerons Pierre Seillan and Nicholas Seillan work to bring out the very best of each individual parcel or micro-cru to convey the message of the soil. The 2019 vintage is characterized by freshness and purity. It opens with red fruit at first aeration, followed by subtle notes of rose petals and licorice. The attack is dense with a core of ripe red fruit, and a rich and precise mid-palate leading to a prolonged finish carried by seamlessly integrated silky tannins. The dense concentration of old Merlot vines in this vintage is balanced by Cabernet Franc’s delicate aromas and Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, culminating in a wine of elegance and power.
Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum Toscana IGT
The palate is soft and round, framed by subtle acid. A core of fresh blueberries, dark chocolate and
salted caramel are balanced by a long, elegant finish with hints of licorice, cedar and tobacco. A powerful, expressive Cabernet Franc to be enjoyed for decades
94 POINTS – Wine Spectator, B.S., Sept. 2022
Lassègue Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
The 2019 vintage of Lassègue is characterized by its freshness and purity. The wine shows a beautiful ruby color in the glass, limpid and brilliant. The nose is aromatic and precise, with red fruit that wafts from the glass at first aeration, followed by subtle notes of rose petal and licorice. The palate displays remarkable freshness, elegance and finesse. The attack is dense with a core of ripe red fruit, and
a rich and precise mid-palate leading to a prolonged finish carried by seamlessly integrated silky tannins. The power, balance and minerality of this vintage reflect the complexity of the clay and limestone soils of the Côte de Saint-Émilion. A great vintage that will reach its peak in 15-20 years.
95 Points - Decanter, J.A., June 2021