The 2020 Caiarossa is the best wine I have tasted off this property in some time, perhaps ever. Rich, deep and yet not at all heavy, the 2020 offers up an exotic mélange of dark cherry/plum fruit, mocha, licorice, new leather and incense. All the elements are so nicely balanced.

This is an ambitious blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Alicante (all the fruit at this estate is organic and biodynamic). The Caiarossa 2020 Caiarossa is one of the Italian wines closest to Bordeaux both in DNA (the estate is French-owned) and winemaking. This is a full-bodied red with a bold and very exuberant personality. There is balance and depth with plenty of purple and black fruits, spice and oak toast to add dimension and complexity. The 2020 vintage is a little thinner compared to the more concentrated 2019 vintage.

Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, Alicante. Maceration on the skins between 20 and 30 days with, first, a few days of cold maceration. Spontaneous fermentation for each variety in concrete and wooden vats from 10 to 80 hl. Two pumpovers daily for about 9–12 days, then once a day until the end of the maceration period. Malolactic conversion in concrete tanks and wooden casks. Aged in tonneaux and barrels (about 30% new) for between 11 months for the most delicate grapes (Alicante) and 20 months for the most powerful ones (Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon). This is followed by six months in concrete tanks before bottling. Very dark, impenetrable crimson. Lifted nose of black forest fruits with just pinch of oak and a hint of damson. Supple black forest fruit and raspberry and just enough acidity to keep the overall tension. Medium-bodied feel rather than full-bodied. Long, finely grained tannins that are a tiny bit bitter and that make their mark on the finish, but this will improve with further bottle age. I would wait a couple of years for the tannins to settle. (WS)

28% Cabernet Franc, 23% Syrah, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 13% Sangiovese, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Grenache. Harvest 4–21 September. Dense and plummy on the nose, there are hints of balsamic and rosemary to the aromas. These follow on the palate, which has acid tension and crunch from sandy tannins despite a ripe profile. Fresh and sweet in equal measure. (TP)