Gaja Ca’ Marcanda Bolgheri Rosso Magari 2021

Angelo Gaja, the Piedmontese producer who reshaped Barbaresco, started Ca' Marcanda in the coastal district of Bolgheri, Tuscany, in 1996. The estate name means house of endless negotiations, a nod to the long talks he had to buy the land. Magari is a Bordeaux-style blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the grapes that made Bolgheri famous. Bolgheri lies near the Tyrrhenian coast, where sea breezes and warm Mediterranean days let the Bordeaux varieties ripen fully, while the maritime setting keeps acidity and freshness in the fruit. The soils vary from clay to gravel and sand, giving structure alongside generous fruit. The wine ages twelve months in French oak, which softens the tannins through slow oxygen exchange and adds spice and a fine grained frame. The colour is deep, dense ruby. The nose shows dark plum, blackberry and cherry, with cocoa, tobacco and sweet spice from the barrel. The palate is full bodied and structured, with ripe dark fruit, firm but polished tannins and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted for an hour, in a large glass. It suits red meat and hard cheeses.