“I was deeply impressed… the trajectory at Caiarossa more or less tracks a similar increase in quality at Château Giscours in Margaux, Caiarossa’s sister property.” - Vinous

So are we! Left with a couple of questions to answer…

Have you ever seen a 96-pointer Super Tuscan for $36? A resounding no, not that we can remember.

Also…

What happens when you take Bordeaux expertise to Tuscany and design a rockstar Super from scratch?

James Suckling answers that one, “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… 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.”

The bouquet is rich in blackberry and plum, while wet rocks and graphite give it an elegant frame. On the palate, it offers cardamom pod, exotic spice, and fragrant violets. While you’re better off giving this glorious red either time to breathe or age, either way, the complexity and texture make it a world-class competitor to some of the best Bordeaux, with plenty of Italian sense-of-place flare to spare.

We probably were able to pick up barely enough for the day, or so we think…

96 Points – The Wine Independent “This 2019 Caiarossa Aria di Caiarossa is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a fragrant, tightly wound nose of dark-berried woodland fruit, ripe tomatoes, raspberries and macchia shrubland. Beautiful raspberry leaf, perfumed spice, and iris aromas come and go. It has a sublimely elegant palate with that super-smooth and wonderful weightless quality. The tannins are so fine they almost disappear and the wine flows across the palate beautifully. Harmony and weightlessness - two of my favorite things. Drink 2022-2034.”