Ca' Marcanda winery
Buy wines of Weingut Ca' Marcanda
With Ca' Marcanda, Angelo Gaja realised a project at the end of the 1990s that exemplifies the second, more reflective phase of Bolgheri. The name - "house of endless negotiations" in Piedmontese dialect - refers to the lengthy discussions surrounding the acquisition of the land, but also indicates how fundamentally Gaja was thinking here: not as an extension of his Piedmontese heritage, but as an independent interpretation of a still young, dynamic terroir.
Bolgheri is characterised by maritime influences, alluvial soils and a variety of microclimates, which particularly benefit international grape varieties such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. While many wineries in the region have long focussed on maximum ripeness, extraction and opulence, Ca' Marcanda takes a different approach. The vineyards are precisely parcelled out, the harvest is differentiated according to soil and exposure, and in the cellar the focus is less on power and more on structure and texture. The result is wines that are never heavy despite their density, but are characterised by a cool, often salty freshness.
Central wines such as "Promis", "Magari" or "Camarcanda" clearly show this signature: fine-grained tannins, clear, linear flavours and an arc of tension that develops less from lush fruit than from balance and length. Particularly striking is the ability to translate the warm climate of Bolgheri into a style that is orientated more towards finesse than power. The proximity to the sea, the constant movement of air and the meticulous work in the vineyard contribute to the wines retaining their freshness despite high physiological ripeness. Architecturally and conceptually, the winery emphasises this claim: the cellar is largely integrated into the hill, follows functional processes and avoids any form of staging. This is also typical of Gaja - the focus is not on the spectacle, but on the precise realisation of an idea of wine. Ca' Marcanda stands for a more intellectual, almost analytical interpretation of the "Supertuscan" concept. It is all about origin, detail and the ability to translate a warm terroir into tension.
© Images: Winery Ca' Marcanda
