Gaja Ca'Marcanda Camarcanda 2016
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Robert
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Winemaker Notes
With respect to the previous vintage, the higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Camarcanda leads to a precise and straightforward character. The nose opens with earthy and balsamic notes of violet, roots, bark and sap. The palate is rich, with concentrated and crunchy notes of blackberry, blueberry, licorice, flint and red orange. The finish is savory, almost meaty, with a precise note of iron that lingers in the aftertaste. Fine–grained tannins, embraced by a mellow body of strong personality. The backbone of this wine is the firm structure perfectly balanced by the fruit concentration. Remarkable ageing potential.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 Ca’Marcanda sports an almost opaque purple color as well as a heavenly bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked earth, charcoal, graphite, and tobacco. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in French oak, this full-bodied, remarkably pure red has ultra-fine tannins, plenty of acidity (although it’s perfectly integrated), flawless balance, and a great, great finish. Drink this beautiful, sexy Toscana over the coming 15 years or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Here's a rather unexpected surprise. Given my excellent first impressions when I tasted this wine four years ago, I expected the Ca' Marcanda 2016 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda to steal the show in this vertical. In fact, the wine is currently in an awkward stage during its transition from full primary fruit to tertiary notes. Those aged aromas recall dried current, spice and grilled herb. They serve to underline the dusty tannins and dry sensations you get on the finish. In all, this wine is moving away from its fruit faster than expected.
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Wine Spectator
Austere in aroma, this red reveals intense flavors of cherry, raspberry, rose and mineral. Firmly structured, yet stays on course with a laser of fruit. Vanilla and toast notes chime in on the finish. Fine balance, length and complexity. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
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Perched atop a steep hill in the Langhe sits the small village of Barbaresco, home of the GAJA winery. The story of the GAJA Winery can be traced to a singular, founding purpose: to produce original wines with a sense of place which reflect the tradition and culture of those who made it. This philosophy has inspired five generations of impeccable winemaking. It started over 150 years ago when Giovanni Gaja opened a small restaurant in Barbaresco, making wine to complement the food he served. In 1859, he founded the Gaja Winery, producing some of the first wine from Piedmont to be bottled and sold outside the region. Since that time, the winery has been shaped by each generation’s hand, notably that of Clotilde Rey, Angelo Gaja’s grandmother. Her passion for uncompromising quality influenced and informed Angelo Gaja. Through Angelo, these values have become the cornerstone of the GAJA philosophy and are engrained in every aspect of wine production
In 1961, Angelo Gaja began his mission of bringing this great winery to an even higher level. He was the first to use barriques, 225-liter French oak barrels. Under his direction, GAJA pioneered the production of single-vineyard designated wines and was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc varietals in Piedmont. He was also instrumental in elevating the native Nebbiolo grape to world-class esteem.
Angelo Gaja is joined by the fifth generation of the GAJA family – his daughters Gaia and Rossana and his son Giovanni. Together they continue to advance the winery’s legacy. To fully realize their vision, all GAJA wines are produced exclusively from grapes grown in estate-owned vineyards, including 250 acres in Piedmont’s Barbaresco and Barolo districts as well as estates in Pieve Santa Restituta (Montalcino) and Ca’Marcanda (Bolgheri). It is from these storied vineyards, and their terroir – the combination of soil, weather and vines that grow upon them, that GAJA wines reveal their true heart and soul.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
An outstanding wine region made famous by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines for his own consumption in 1940s on his San Guido estate, and called the resulting wine, Sassicaia. Today the region’s Tuscan reds are based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can be made as single varietal wines or blends. The local Sangiovese can make up no more than 50% of the blends. Today Sassicaia has its own DOC designation within the Bogheri DOC appellation.