Cantina D'Arcy

Having moved to Piedmont several years earlier, New Zealander Tom Nicholson-Myers eventually found a lease in Preda—which he shared with fellow phenom, Philine Dienger—as well as establishing relationships with several growers with whom he agreed to purchase fruit. In 2020, Tom launched Cantina D’Arcy (his maternal grandmother’s maiden name), offering investors allocations on future wines. Since then, Myers has cultivated a small parcel in Preda and continued sourcing fruit from trusted growers which he has vinified in varying cellars.

Crucially, Tom's winegrowing philosophy begins with a concise articulation of his aims, which he distills to a simple production process, beginning with painstaking attention to growing healthy, ripe fruit, which he aims to pick at just the right moment. Vineyard management is careful and considered, designed to shape the vineyard for the current and coming vintages; including pruning optimised for sap flow; seasonal canopy management; shoot thinning for crop load and aeration; and much more. In the winery, there are no secrets nor any great complexity. Instead, Tom is relentlessly committed to mastering his chosen production techniques such that he can leverage each step in service of a desired aesthetic, and in the face of changing conditions, he is adaptable and prepared.

Importantly, the finished wines are distinctly singular and intensely aromatic, soulful and textural, with heaps upfront but even more substance behind the scenes. Tom is amongst the world's most exciting contemporary winemakers - these are wines to be watched with great care.