Vineyards Magazine

Some roots are inherited, others are chosen.

Arsen Khachaturyants’ story is one shaped by movement. Of Armenian heritage, born in Spain in 2000, he studied in New York, London, Bordeaux. Growing up across borders, languages and cultures inspired a desire to create something enduring, without ever giving up the freedom to look beyond.

That vision took shape in Arsenio, a wine project established across three Tuscan terroirs: the hills around Florence, Olena and Volterra.

“For me, putting down roots doesn’t have to mean standing still,” says Arsen Khachaturyants. “It means building something with depth and continuity. Tuscany is where this journey began, but Arsenio was created with the curiosity and freedom to keep exploring.”

In 2020, with the guidance of renowned consultants Marco Simonit and Alberto Antonini, the first 10 hectares of vineyards were planted and have since been farmed organically. Traditional Tuscan grape varieties—Sangiovese, Mammolo, Colorino, Pugnitello and Canaiolo—grow alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

The 2024 vintage marks the project’s debut with its first two wines: Yeter and Same Sky. Both will be released in September 2026 in extremely limited quantities for Italy and selected international markets.

Yeter 2024 is the most intimate expression of the project. A blend of seven grape varieties grown on the hills overlooking Florence, at 300 metres above sea level and just a few kilometres from the city’s historic centre, it brings together traditional and international grape varieties in a deeply personal interpretation of place. Its name carries distant echoes, evoking a sense of transcendence.

Same Sky 2024 was born from a simple intuition: different vineyards, one sky, one shared philosophy. A wine inspired by freedom. Its first release is a blend from the vineyards of Florence and Volterra, combining Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mammolo and Pugnitello.

Still in his twenties, Arsen combines analytical discipline, professional kitchen experience and a deep respect for the land. The award-winning ORA extra-virgin olive oil established his reputation for precision and uncompromising quality. He now carries that same philosophy into wine, blending innovation and environmental responsibility, ambition and patience, memory and vision.

“I want to speak to my generation, but not only to them. I want to reach everyone who is curious about the future of viticulture. That’s why learning and experience are my greatest allies,” says the winemaker. “As Isaac Newton famously wrote, ‘If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’”

His words reveal a profound respect for history and tradition, while expressing a determination to develop a personal vision that continues to evolve.

The Labels

Every bottle of Arsenio bears, embossed on the glass, the eight-rayed Armenian sun, an ancient and evocative symbol.

The labels were conceived to capture a moment and an emotion.

On Yeter, Arsen is portrayed as a young man of today, lost in thought—a figure reflecting on himself while fully aware of the world’s complexity and chaos. The intention is for anyone to recognise something of themselves in the figure, experiencing the wine as though stepping into the story. Same Sky takes a more abstract approach. Its rounded label echoes the project’s sense of universality: one planet to care for, and one shared sky beneath which we all live, free from prejudice and without boundaries.

Ynse Boonstra