About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The vineyards lie in the Castagneto Carducci area of Bolgheri. The fruit grows in rich limestone soil known as terre bianche, or “white earth.”
Vinification
Each variety is fermented and macerated separately for about 15 days. Malolactic fermentation follows.
Ageing
The wine matures for 12 months in oak barriques and then for 6 months in concrete vessels. After blending and bottling, it rests for several more months in the estate’s cellars.
Tasting profile
Expressive and well balanced, with distinctive fruit flavours, a complex, generous aroma and a long, pleasant finish.
Vintage notes
The 2020 season followed a warm winter, with well-distributed rainfall from October 2019 through February 2020. Night temperatures fell to −4 °C in April, and spring frost caused minor damage in the youngest and lowest vineyards. Large temperature variations and frequent rain during spring required careful control of fungal diseases.
An unusually light wind marked the beginning of summer. Warm, stable conditions then continued without heat waves until mid-September. Several periods of rain slowed the harvest, and picking of the estate’s red varieties began on 5 September. The grapes were healthy and fully ripe, with above-average sugar levels and crisp, thin skins.
Label / history
The wine takes its name from the estate. Ca’ Marcanda means “the house of long negotiations,” referring to Angelo Gaja’s repeated journeys between Piedmont and Tuscany as he tried to persuade the previous owner to sell. After another refusal, Gaja’s wife characterized the process as a kind of “Ca Marcanda.” The negotiations concluded with his purchase of the estate in 1996, after which he gave it the name Ca’ Marcanda.
