AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP OR SHIPPING JUNE 3
Bea’s beloved 'Arboreus' originates from exceedingly old Trebbiano vines (up to 150 years of age) in the village of Spoleto, halfway between their home village of Montefalco and nearby Trevi. A striking instance of non-standard training, these ancient vines wrap themselves around the trunks and branches of trees (hence the wine’s name), growing and ripening high above the ground. Bea picks the fruit quite ripe and conducts an extended skin maceration, after which he leaves the wine on its gross lees for the better part of a year—a technique that nourishes the wine and ensures its ultimate expressive depth, but one which requires total confidence in the quality of one’s raw materials.
The 2016 is flat-out gorgeous. Unexpectedly rich and tropical in the glass, with a burst of exotic florals, ginger and spices giving way to freshly sliced nectarine, it's round and supple on the palate, with a flourish of saline minerality, lime-tinged pit fruits and hints of sour kiwi that cascade throughout. This tapers off with a honeyed inner sweetness contrasted by a salty twang, lasting incredibly long yet still remarkably fresh. The wine’s palate is chiseled, markedly tannic (though well-balanced), and driven by resonant acidity, with the marzipan and apricot echoing strongly. At the end of the day, it’s a wine only Giampiero Bea could produce. User’s note: 'Arboreus' must be served no cooler than cellar temperature to appreciate its full spectrum of aromas and flavors.