The historic, Medieval castle of Strozzavolpe regally stands guard over the town of Poggibonsi, on the south-western part of Castellina in Chianti and the hills of Siena. The castle is surrounded by 32 hectares of vineyards, 7 of which are in Chianti Classico. The vineyards are protected by thick woods of live oaks, and the high altitude provides an enviable and wellventilated exposition. The stony-calcareous soil is rich in fossils and minerals, which give the wines an admirable structure. The warm days and cools nights enhance an already seductive bouquet. The vineyards were nearly abandoned and the grapes sold in bulk to the local cantina who greedily bought them up. Even in that state, the quality coming from the vineyards was exceptional. Now under the caring passionate hand of the owner, Alberto Arcangeli, the vineyards are returning to their formal glory.
As with any genuine castle, there is also a great legend. The story goes that when the castle was being built in 1154, there was a huge and ferocious fox that roamed the land. He would attack and maul anyone who ventured on the land, and he was even said to have fire coming out of his eyes and its mouth. The prince, determined to build his castle on this strategic hilltop, rounded up his bravest knights and went hunting for the fox. His army, however, was no match for the savage animal – half of them were quickly decimated. The prince himself finally cornered the fox in a tree and managed to get a lasso around his neck. As the fox leapt from the tree to attack the prince, he was hung by the lasso. And so, the castle earned its name, Strozzavolpe, which means “hang the fox.”
But the legend doesn’t end there. The prince's wizard warned him that the castle he was about to build would only last as long as the body of the fox. To ensure the longevity of his castle, the prince immediately ordered that the fox be embalmed & stuffed with liquid gold. The fox was then buried deep in the foundation of the castle. It is said that when the moon is full, the fox can be seen wandering the grounds of the castle.
Alberto just laughs and shrugs his shoulders when asked about the fox. He says, that as long as he doesn't get into the cellars and drink up his precious Chianti Classico, he is free to roam the grounds.
Alberto has a great passion for these vineyards and the wine they produce. He has researched the original clones that once grew in the area. His regular Chianti is 90% Sangiovese with small percentages of the ancient, indigenous grapes, Ciliegiolo and the rare Pugnitello, It has a luscious drinkability filled with bright cherry fruit that speaks of genuine Chianti. The bouquet is filled with red berries, in particular red currents and dark cherries, mixed with subtle spices. The finish is exceptionally elegant and long. The Chianti Classico stays 12 months in barrique. It is regal and impressively structured. The bouquet is full of rich, ripe plums and dark cherries with intriguing hints of vanilla and warm spices. It is a Classico of inherent power and great elegance.
25 ha Chianti and 7 ha Chianti Classico.
Average age of the vines is 25 years.
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Tenuta di Arceno Strada al Sasso Chianti Classico Gran Selezione.
Strada al Sasso is our flagship Sangiovese and is sourced exclusively from the La Porta vineyard block of our Tuscan estate. This is the most intense, brooding, concentrated and complex of our DOCG wines. While this wine drinks well in its youth, it is built to evolve and improve over the next decade or more. This red wine shows aromas of dark-toned fruit, roasted coffee and violets. On the palate are dried red fruits, baking spice and tobacco. The lingering finish shows minerality, and balanced tannins. This Wine has a Cork closure. Alcohol Content: 14.5% Pair with antipasti, margherita or pepperoni pizza, spaghetti bolognese, and eggplant or chicken parmigiana.
The Strada al Sasso is 100% Sangiovese and comes from a single windswept vineyard block within our prized La Porta vineyard. This exceptional micro-cru features high-density spacing, careful matching of rootstocks and clones to the soils, and low yields. The soils are 38% sandstone, 32% limestone, 30% loam, and galestro. La Porta means “the door” or “the opening.”
The vineyard sits directly in the front of the walled town of San Gusmè, offering the most spectacular view as you drive up to town. The vines were replanted at an altitude of 420-450 meters (1400-1450 feet) above sea level between 1998 and 2001 with nine different clones of Sangiovese, including some Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello) on five different rootstocks. The grapes are hand-picked and cold soaked for four days and fermented on skins for 16-20 days, depending on year and fruit ripeness, then drained directly into barrel for malolactic fermentation.
No fining or additives of any kind are used. Pierre Seillan works closely with winemaker Lawrence Cronin and his Italian team, believing his job is to respect tradition, but also enhance the future.
Review:
The sensory quality imposes a deep and rich matrix of identity in the mixed floral and fruity scents of lavender, violet, agapanthus, magnolia, orange blossom, blue plums, pressed blueberries and warm white stone. Full body, silky tannins, enveloping but not ruffling, it relaxes in a very pleasant bite that from the center of the palate onwards creates length and persistence. What a phenomenon. Impossible to resist it but better from
-WinesCritic.com 97 Points
This is the first Petit Verdot varietal wine produced by Michael David Winery and one of the few ever produced from Lodi. Each year when compared to other Petit Verdot vineyards, the quality of this lot is at the top of its class. Because of the high level of tannin, color, and concentration, this wine is always put into new barrels early in the harvest season.