CAIAROSSA VERTICAL & 2022 CHÂTEAU GISCOURS
BORDEAUX, FRANCE & TUSCANY, ITALY 2022
WHY BUY: Wine critics around the world have hailed Caiarossa as "magic," and James Suckling has declared them one of his "go-to Super-Tuscans” for their "drinkability and complexity." This vertical — headlined by their 97-point IGT Toscana 2022 and their 96-point IGT Toscana 2021, both for just $75 a bottle — only reaffirms what they and we have known for years: no one does rich, hedonistic, and inexpensive quite like Caiarossa. And in case you missed it: the Jelgersma family, which owns Caiarossa, also owns Château Giscours, which just took home No. 1 Wine of the Year from Wine Spectator for their Margaux 2022. This is a family at the very top of the industry right now, and we expect even bigger things to come for Caiarossa over the next decade. Get in now, while prices are still this low.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: There’s perhaps no greater champion of the wines of Caiarossa than James Suckling, who weighed in on all four of these. His 97-point assessment of the 2022 captures its sophisticated balance: "elegant aromas ... Amazing polished, velvety tannins. The palate is very savory and spicy, with fruit and clove flavors.” He was nearly as enamored of the 2021, a 96-pointer with a "firm and dense" attack, "velvety tannins of great extraction," and a "refreshing natural acidity" that hints at its potential for serious aging. Even the older vintages are, to Suckling’s eye, performing highly: the 2012 scored 95 points for its "complex aromas of blueberries and spices such as nutmeg and sage" with "pretty tension" across seven grape varieties.
OUR TASTING NOTES: Tasting through this vertical is like watching a master painter work through different periods. Four biodynamic wines, four wines that lead with craft and care. The 2022 opens with this understated elegance that sneaks up on you, polished and composed, with savory elements dipping and darting around dark fruit in a way that feels more Burgundian than Tuscan. It's showing off, but quietly. The 2021 vintage displays more obvious and immediate power, and carries itself with a quiet majesty. It’s the wine world equivalent of a command performance, with a kind of coiled energy in every sip that bespeaks a wine that will cellar beautifully. The two older wines are a revelation. The 2012 vintage features no fewer than seven different grapes in the blend. Amazingly, none is fighting for attention. You’re treated to an almost seamless weave of blue fruit and warm spice, and what we love most is that the wine keeps evolving as you go, changing on you every fifteen, twenty minutes. With the 2010 vintage, you're in the company of a wine that's found its equilibrium after all these years. There’s so much here to love. It’s ripe and generous without ever tipping into excess, and textured like expensive fabric.
THE STORY: Twenty-something years ago, Eric Albada Jelgersma, the Dutch owner of Bordeaux classified growth Château Giscours, had a notion. In his mind, the Val di Cecina, a rolling, sun-dappled patch of Tuscany that lies between the ancient cities of Volterra and Pisa, and that has captivated romantics for centuries (from the days of the Roman empire through the Renaissance and up to today), was more than a land of edenic beauty and deep historical significance. Could its terroir, with its twelve different soils and eleven grape varieties, one day produce wines of the very first rank? Purchasing a verdant and rolling plot of land and teaming with winemaker Lorenzo Pasquini, who previously held the same title at Château d'Yquem director Pierre Lurton's esteemed Argentinian winery, Cheval des Andes, he attempted to find out. The results have been nothing short of spectacular, validating Jelgersma's every instinct. Seven years after his death, his children, Dennis, Derk, and Valérie, have carried on his vision with unerring focus.
FUN FACT: Jelgersma was an inveterate collector, and not just of wine. Among his collection of Old Masters are two portraits by the Dutch artist Frans Hals.
OUR GUARANTEE: As always, we only buy and source directly from the estate, so rest assured: your wines will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Secure your order today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in either Winter 2025 (Giscours 2022) or Spring 2026 (Caiarossa). With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in DC, GA, KS, LA, MI, MN, NE, NY, OK, TN. This offer will expire on Sunday, January 18th, 2026.