Ca'Marcanda, Ca' Marcanda (Gaja) 2017

The 2017 Camarcanda is rich and heady in the glass, with all of the natural radiance of the vintage on full display. Ripe, racy and exotic in its beauty, the 2017 is a prototypical modern Maremma red. Generous fruit, racy contours and lifted savory notes add to its considerable allure. It, too, is arresting in its beauty. The 2017 offers plenty of voluptuousness, but with no excess weight. I loved it. Production is down 40% because of the low production of the year and then severe selection.

The Ca' Marcanda 2017 Bolgheri Rosso Camarcanda is Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from the Gaja family estate in Bolgheri. Many of its peers show the inky and concentrated fruit of this hot and dry vintage, with the bitter structure and the exaggerated phenolic ripeness of the growing season. But not this wine. This Bolgheri blend is contained and subdued in comparison, with a silky mouthfeel and elegant tannins. This elegance defies the vintage and resets your palate to a place of nuance and finesse that is nearly impossible to find in these 2017 releases.