GAJA CA'MARCANDA BOLGHERI
TUSCANY, ITALY 2021
Why Buy: These newly arrived releases from GAJA's Ca'Marcanda estate, including the 96-point 2021 Bolgheri, are epochal and entrancing achievements — exhibiting all the profundity, intensity, and terroir focus that helped to spark a global passion for Bolgheri's sun-baked slopes. For anyone who reveres Italian wine, these are essential additions to the cellar; for GAJA's feverish cult following, they are can’t-live-withouts.
What They're Saying: Critical acclaim has swirled around the 2021 Bolgheri in particular, with The Wine Advocate, in a lavish 96-point review, extolling its “floral bouquet,” “subtle elegance,” and “refined nuance.”
Our Tasting Notes: The 2021 Bolgheri is opulent yet restrained, an aristocratic Bolgheri in its fullest, finest glory. Suave wild berry, dried cherry, cola and cigar box are woven over structured tannins and welcome nuances of earth and iron. The 2022 Promis, a brooding wine, amplifies the sultry, sun-kissed dimension of Merlot with all the impeccable structure and aromatic purity GAJA's approach demands, while the 2022 Magari is a brilliant balancing act, finding the ideal equilibrium between richness and energy. The 2023 Vistamare Bianco marries Vermentino and Viognier in an inspired Tuscan white blend; we loved its luminous jasmine and salty mineral aromas, its lush stone fruit and citrus peel flavors, and, most of all, its vibrant, tangy acidity.
The Story: By now, Angelo Gaja's remarkable legacy scarcely needs recounting. The boldly innovative techniques he pioneered in Piedmont —from his early embracing of barriques to radical low yields — shattered tradition, drawing scorn from purists. Yet his unwavering pursuit of terroir purity revolutionized not just the Langhe but virtually every great appellation across the bel paese. No wonder that when Gaja set his sights southward, in 1996, adding Bolgheri's Ca'Marcanda to his vineyard holdings, the wine industry stood at attention. Seismic shifts were underway for Tuscany. Applying his determinedly non-conformist philosophies, he elevated this property's pedigree in similarly dramatic fashion, coaxing exceptional single-vineyard Bordeaux varieties to their utmost potential.
Fun Fact: Gaia Gaja, the eldest of Angelo's children and "the international face of the brand," in the words of Jay McInerney, writing for Town & Country, "made wine and grappa at school with [her classmates with] grapes [taken] from their families' vineyards."
Our Guarantee: As with all our offerings, these wines come directly from the estate. Your bottles will arrive in pristine condition, ready for your cellar—or your glass.
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Fall 2024. 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 KS, MI, NY, or TN. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Thursday, July 4th, 2024.
