Mission Codename To-go-to-go-to
What happens when you take Bordeaux expertise to Tuscany and design a rockstar Super from scratch?
Let’s ask James Suckling who rated this beauty 96 points.
He says… “Caiarossa has been making unique wines since the early 2000s, but it wasn’t until Dutch entrepreneur Eric Albada Jelgersma bought the estate in 2004 that it started making world-class bottles. The businessman also owns Bordeaux’s Château Giscours and Château du Tertre. Located in Val di Cecina on the Tuscan coast, the vineyard covers 16 hectares, where a total of 11 grape varieties are planted. According to the winery, each grape is planted based on the soil type that suits it best. All are biodynamically grown.”
Then comes the punchline: “The area is about a half an hour’s drive north from the legendary region of Bolgheri, home of such top wines as Sassicaia and Masseto, but a little farther inland.”
He zooms in on this wine too, “the top wine of Caiarossa is indeed a Caiarossa Toscana, a fascinating blend of 8 grape varietals namely, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Mourvèdre… I think of the wines of Caiarossa as one of my “go-to” Tuscan reds because of their drinkability and complexity. And I love that they are made from biodynamic grapes as well.”
Now Mr. Suckling, not every wine lover can call an $80 bottle a “go-to* Tuscan red, so what did we do? SLASH that by 40% and all of a sudden, at $48 it’s much, much more approachable for a Super with a cult following.
We picked up not enough for a daily feature, but just enough to last in the Store a few days, or so we think…
96 Points – James Suckling
“The nose immediately shows a fabulous contrast between riper mulberries and blackberry crumble and freshly ground herbs, citrus and incense. The palate shows much the same polish, carrying bright blue-fruit flavors across a bedrock of muscular tannins and driven acidity. This finishes long and very grainy yet succulent. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot and Alicante. Drink in 2022.”
What the Winery Says
2015 'Caiarossa' IGT Toscana
- Consulting winemaker
- Jerome Poisson
- Varietals
- 31% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 10% Sangiovese, 9% Syrah, 2% Alicante
- Vintage
- 2015
- Alcohol
- 14%
- Appellation
- Maremma Toscana DOC
- Vineyard
- Mongibello Vineyards
- Altitude
- 250 meters above sea level
- Soils
- Sand with granite, schist, clay
- Harvest dates
- September 5-30, 2016
- Yields
- 6,600 vines/ha
- Total acidity
- 5.7 g/L
- pH
- 3.40
- Bottling date
- March 2019
- Aging
- 24 months
- Barrels
- 30% new French oak