VINEYARD | Caiarossa means immersing yourself in the Tuscan Mediterranean scrubland. We are in Riparbella, between Pisa and Volterra, in a setting dotted with vines and olive trees that look out to the sea. Essenzia is a wine that completely detaches itself from all the other estate wines, a special collection of a few hundred bottles, only in magnum format, only when deemed up to the mark. The blend changes from time to time according to the sensitivity of the vintage, the idea being to tell its true essence through 2 or 3 barriques. The first vintage produced was 2009, then 2011, 2012, and the 2013 that we describe here. It is a blend of cabernet franc (80%) and cabernet sauvignon (20%) grapes from the Serra all'Olio vineyard planted in 1998 on partly clay and limestone and partly iron soils with high stone content. The wine ferments in steel tanks, then ages 18 months in barriques of different ages, with an additional 12 months resting in cement. Then very long aging in bottle.
PEOPLE | The name Caiarossa was coined to pay homage to the soils, which are characterized by the presence of deep red rocks and gravel. The winery was founded in 1998, immediately embracing the principles of biodynamic agriculture. In 2004, it became the property of Eric Albada Jelgersma, who has more than a decade of experience in high-level viticulture and already owns Château Giscours and Château du Tertre in Bordeaux. Seven red varieties are grown on the estate; sangiovese, merlot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, alicante and syrah; three white varieties: viognier, chardonnay and petit manseng.
WINE | The first proposed profile is intensely spicy. It offers sensations of pepper and nutmeg, then licorice root and balsamic essences, with a dark undercurrent of black tea, leather and goudron. After a few minutes come sensations of Mediterranean scrub, juniper, and rosemary, with ripe ton of currant and morello cherry. The mouth is decidedly energetic and fragrant, with an important tannic texture, deep roasted tones of cocoa and blond tobacco are prolonged by a vivid acidity to refresh and enliven the sip, for a deep, articulate and pleasantly savory finish.
