Ca'Marcanda, Ca' Marcanda (Gaja) 2018

The 2018 Ca' Marcanda is lifted with medicinal herbs, balsamic, and fresh mint. It is youthful with baby fat now but is more lifted overall compared to the previous two vintages of 2017 and 2016. It offers elegant and fine tannins, with notes of black raspberry, strawberry, violets, and a long and tapered finish that is more about its stony mineral texture than the length and concentration of its fruit. Drink 2024-2044.

The Ca' Marcanda estate does not make a Bolgheri Superiore, although this bottle would qualify as such. The 2018 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and you definitely feel those full-throttle varietal aromas with big intensity and clarity. Spicy greenness comes forward as grilled rosemary and lavender essence, but the wine boasts nice depth and dimension, and enough textual richness to smooth it all out. This was a slightly cooler vintage with some sporadic rain showers throughout the summer. These conditions might explain the sharper side of those Cabernet aromas. As the wine moves over the palate, it reveals more substantial aromas of black fruit, spice and baker's chocolate. This vintage is slightly thinner than the hot 2017 expression before it and the classic 2016. However, this wine should certainly play forward positively in terms of its aging potential. 2023-2040.

Intense, vibrant and juicy, the 2018 Camarcanda features bright red and black fruits, wood and balsamic notes all wrapped up in some soft creaminess. Tight and tangy, the palate features ripe fruits and a mouthwatering saline finish, leaving you wanting more. So fresh and youthful, this will benefit from time in the cellar.

Impenetrable dark purple-crimson. Blackberry-blueberry with chalky cassis notes and plum. Crushed-blackberry palate with soft tannins and a supple dark-fruit finish. More medium- than full-bodied. Lots of freshness and cool-climate character. 2020-2030.