Caiarossa 2020

This is an ambitious blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Alicante (all the fruit at this estate is organic and biodynamic). Caiarossa 2020 Caiarossa is one of the Italian wines closest to Bordeaux both in DNA (the estate is French-owned) and winemaking. This is a full-bodied red with a bold and very exuberant personality. There is balance and depth with plenty of purple and black fruits, spice and oak toast to add dimension and complexity. The 2020 vintage is a little thinner compared to the more concentrated 2019 vintage.

Offers a combination of black currant, blackberry and loam flavors, with flourishes of iron and tobacco backed by dense tannins, which leave a burr on the finish. Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot and Grenache. Best from 2026 through 2040. 3,100 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.

This is aromatic with dried cherries and plum skins as well as spiced chocolate, lilacs, walnut shell and nutmeg. Some wet stones, too. It’s full, structured and wide on the palate with super-fine tannins. It’s powerful but not heavy with freshness and crunchiness. Shows intensity and richness. Give it time. Made from biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Try from 2026.

The 2020 Caiarossa is a blend of 28% Cabernet Franc, 23% Syrah, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 13% Sangiovese, 4% Petit Verdot, and 1% Grenache. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little broody to start, with notions of tar and rubber followed by a core of baked plums and cracked black pepper with touches of dried herbs and damp soil. The full-bodied palate is full of pepper-laced black fruits with rounded tannins and compelling freshness, finishing long and spicy.

The nose is fragrant and indulgent. It shows notes of ripe red and black fruits with a subtle tang (red cherry, fresh raspberry, crunchy strawberry, blueberry, a background of blackcurrant juice) and a delicate sweet touch of redcurrant jam. On the second nose, there are notes of fresh aromatic herbs (cut thyme, sprig of rosemary, fresh bay leaf, a hint of basil in the background), along with a delicate floral side (dried wildflowers) and spice (licorice, white pepper in the background), as well as a mineral and saline touch underneath. On the palate, the wine is chiselled, offering tension and precision. The attack highlights herbal and floral flavors of dried mint, fresh rosemary, bay leaf and basil (in the background) and wildflowers, paired with freshness and tangy fruit notes mid-palate (red cherry, raspberry, redcurrant, crunchy strawberry, blueberry) and delicate spicy and mineral notes on the finish (a fine hint of licorice and white pepper). The tannic structure is tight and firm, with a powdery texture. The tannins are young and dry, yet wrapped by the wine’s lively acidity. Good persistence on cocoa notes and a pleasant bitterness. A chiselled and elegant wine.

Scented herbs and warm, sun-kissed black fruit on the nose—no surprise given it was the warmest summer since 1800, with significant rain in June and at the end of August that allowed the grapes to ripen correctly. This smells like baked blackcurrants and roses. Supple and ample, generous and filling, with gorgeous plump yet well-defined tannins that provide structure and a sense of tension. The fruit is tangy and ripe, and with the acidity you get a push-pull of sharpness and ripeness. Round, direct, forward, this has energy and sculpting, and I love the freshness that really lingers on the tongue. Well executed, with lots of fragrance and a mineral, stony grip on the finish alongside dried herbs and licorice spice. A delicious Tuscan wine with French flair (same owner as Château Giscours in Margaux, AJ Domaines). Jérôme Poisson has been general manager of both estates since 2020 and Axel Marchat a consultant since 2016. A blend of 28% Cabernet Franc, 23% Syrah, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 13% Sangiovese, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Grenache. Each plot and variety was vinified separately and spontaneously in concrete and wooden tanks. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was blended and aged for 14 months in barriques, 30% new, before spending two months resting in concrete and a further year in bottle before release.

The nose balances dark fruit and berries with the fresh levity of white pepper, mint and eucalyptus. On the palate, notes of vanilla bean and dark chocolate underscore the juicy broadness of the fruit, but a hot, peppery finish presents a thought-provoking contrast and prompts a meditative finish.