di Arceno

Ancient origins and early winegrowing

Arceno appears in historical documents in 1000 as a small, independent community. The surrounding territory, near the division of the Ambra and Ombrone river systems, had earlier been a nexus of Etruscan civilization. The name “Arceno” is linked to the Etruscan word archè, meaning “point of origin.”

The estate has been a centre of wine production since the 16th century. In 1504, the prominent Del Taja family began acquiring its land parcel by parcel. They enlarged the property and initiated architectural improvements. The first villa on the estate was built in 1600.

In 1716, Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici established the first delimited Chianti wine zone, corresponding to what is now Chianti Classico.

The Piccolomini period

In 1829, the Del Taja family sold the property to the Piccolomini family of Siena. The Piccolominis developed gardens and lakes and built many of the villas and other structures that remain on the property.

The regional denomination evolved during the 20th century: the Italian government created the Chianti designation as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata in 1967, and the region was elevated to DOCG status in 1984.

Establishment of Tenuta di Arceno

In 1994, Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke acquired the estate and established Tenuta di Arceno with vigneron Pierre Seillan. It was among the Jackson family’s first estate acquisitions outside California. Barbara Banke and her children Christopher, Katie and Julia subsequently became closely involved in rejuvenating the property.

Sandra Gonzi had begun working at Arceno in 1991, initially in administration and accounting. Her career entered a new phase following the 1994 acquisition, and she became General Manager in 2004. Michele Pezzicoli joined in 1995 and assumed responsibility for vineyard planting, farming and harvesting. A detailed study of the estate’s soils, topography and climate followed in 1996, guiding the siting of new vineyards, varieties, clones and rootstocks.

Lawrence Cronin joined as resident winemaker in 2002, working with Pierre Seillan and Michele Pezzicoli to implement the estate’s block-by-block micro-cru approach. Pepe Schib Graciani joined as Global Brand Ambassador in 2015.

Recent milestones

In 2016, the 2012 il fauno di Arcanum ranked No. 19 in the Wine Spectator Top 100. Gambero Rosso awarded Tre Bicchieri to the 2013 Valadorna in 2018, the 2017 Chianti Classico in 2019, the 2017 Chianti Classico Riserva in 2020, the 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva in 2021 and the 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva in 2022. The 2022 recognition represented the third consecutive Tre Bicchieri for Chianti Classico Riserva.

In 2023, the 2019 Arcanum received Tre Bicchieri, marking the sixth consecutive year in which a Tenuta di Arceno wine received that distinction. The 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva also placed No. 24 in the Wine Spectator Top 100 that year.

Tenuta di Arceno occupies 1,000 ha at the southernmost edge of Chianti Classico, in the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga near Siena. The ancient walled village of San Gusmè overlooks the vineyards. The property lies near the division of two river systems: the Ambra flows north towards Florence, while the Ombrone flows south towards Grosseto.

The terrain rises from approximately 300 m to more than 500 m above sea level and forms ten distinct mesoclimates. Most vineyards face southwest. This orientation shelters the vines from colder northern winds while providing sunlight throughout the day. The Mediterranean climate is influenced by warm winds from the south and cool air descending from the northern mountains.

Soils vary markedly across the elevation profile and include clay, sandstone, basalt and hard schist. Sediment-derived ground occurs close to the riverbanks, while the higher vineyards are extremely rocky. The stony soils drain effectively, retain nutrients and absorb daytime heat, releasing it into the vineyards during the evening and extending the daily ripening period.

Of the estate’s 1,000 ha, 92 ha are planted to vines. The remaining land includes woodland, arable ground, olive groves and native vegetation. The vineyards are divided into 63 blocks or micro-crus. Approximately half of the planted area is devoted to Sangiovese and half to international varieties, principally Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

A detailed study of the estate’s soils, topography and climate was conducted in 1996. The resulting maps and the identification of diverse soil types guided decisions about vineyard location, varieties, clones and rootstocks.

The 92 ha of vines are divided into 63 individual blocks or micro-crus and then subdivided where differences in soil and terroir warrant still finer treatment. Varieties, clones, rootstocks and farming practices are matched to each site. Planting density exceeds 2,000 vines per acre, equivalent to more than approximately 4,940 vines/ha. Average yield is around 3 tons per acre, approximately 6.7 metric tonnes/ha.

Each micro-cru is tended and harvested independently. Vineyard Manager Michele Pezzicoli oversees vineyard design and planting, vine training, pruning, farming and harvest. He has also developed and implemented the estate’s sustainable vineyard programs. No formal organic, biodynamic or other farming certification is identified.

The 63 vineyard blocks are managed as individual micro-crus, with further subdivisions based on local soil and terroir differences. Each unit is harvested and vinified separately so that it retains the identity of its site. The individual lots are combined only during the final stages of production to create the finished blends.

The approach combines modern winemaking methods with Italian tradition. All eight wines in the Chianti Classico DOCG and Toscana IGT collections are grown and bottled entirely at the estate. Detailed information about reception, sorting, fermentation vessels and temperatures, extraction, malolactic fermentation, maturation, clarification, filtration and bottling protocols is not presented as a single estate-wide process.