2022 Gaja Ca’Marcanda Camarcanda Bolgheri, Tuscany

A smoky wine with graphite, licorice, restrained cassis and leather on the nose. Full-bodied and firm in tannins, with a velvety texture, supple fruit, chewy acidity and an integrated, structured finish. Drink or hold.

95 points jamessuckling.com

With its dark fruit, Mediterranean scrub aromatics and lifted floral touches, this is an enticing 2022 which gets even better after a sip or two. Vertical in shape, and slightly creamy and chocolatey, it drips with cool black berries and dark cherries, punctured by flecks of petrichor, iron and blood orange. Great balance, freshness and poise. Superb!

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From the coastal plains of Bolgheri, this wine represents Angelo Gaja’s vision of what great Tuscan Cabernet blends can achieve when handled with the same precision that made his Piedmont wines famous. Ca’Marcanda was Gaja’s bold move into Tuscany, drawn to Bolgheri’s gravelly soils and maritime climate that echo Bordeaux while still speaking Italian. Camarcanda is the estate’s flagship red, sourced from carefully selected parcels where heat, sea breezes and mineral rich earth combine to produce fruit of natural power and refinement.

The name loosely translates to house of endless negotiations, a nod to the long process Gaja endured to secure the land. That persistence shows in the wine’s architecture. The blend is typically led by Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc and Merlot adding perfume and texture. Winemaking is exacting but never showy, designed to preserve structure and vineyard identity rather than chase excess weight.

In the glass it shows a deep, inky ruby. Aromas are layered and commanding, opening with blackcurrant, dark plum and blackberry, followed by graphite, cedar, tobacco and Mediterranean herbs. There is a coastal freshness beneath the richness that lifts the bouquet.

The palate is full bodied and structured, with dense dark fruit wrapped in firm, polished tannins. Acidity is bright and controlled, giving shape and length. Flavours move from cassis and black cherry into spice, earth and mineral tones, finishing long, savoury and powerful. The texture is muscular yet refined, balancing Bolgheri warmth with Gaja precision.

It pairs beautifully with grilled steak, roast lamb, venison and rich slow cooked dishes. While impressive now with extended decanting, it is built for long cellaring and will evolve confidently for fifteen to twenty five years, developing cigar box, leather and savoury complexity.

Camarcanda is Tuscan Bordeaux through a Gaja lens, bold, structured and deeply polished, a flagship wine that marries coastal power with intellectual restraint.