2020 - Camarcanda, Ca'Marcanda (Gaja), Bolgheri

The 2020 Camarcanda is suave, elegant and wonderfully expressive. Lifted aromatics and silky tannins give Camarcanda tons of finesse. Deceptive in its mid-weight feel, the 2020 is beautifully resonant. Pretty floral and spice notes open the finish effortlessly. The 2020 is without question the finest Camarcanda to date. Bravo.

Camarcanda is the flagship Cabernet blend from Gaja’s Bolgheri estate Ca’Marcanda. The 2020 starts off with a distinctive nose of bright, leafy, blackberry and blackberry-leaf aromas. Fresh, sappy and juicy on the palate, the 2020 seems joyfully expressive of Cabernet Franc in particular. It is perhaps a little less concentrated in the middle, but I love the purity and transparency of the flavors. There is a fine cocoa, smoky, dark flavor on the finish and the tannins are very refined. A charming wine with a certain fragility that adds to its charm and great purity of flavor and aroma.

The 2020 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc in a supporting role. Showing youthful primary fruit at this young stage, the wine delivers impressive balance and fruit versus oak integration. Angelo Gaja and his team are dedicated to the pursuit of elegance in these two grape varieties that can often deliver too much power and concentration when unchecked. Timing the harvest correctly and the careful use of French oak is key to these overall results, especially with regard to the medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and the long silkiness of this age-worthy vintage.