Ca’Marcanda Promis 2004

The coastal Bolgheri is one of Italy’s youngest DOC’s. Home to the renowned Ornellaia and Sassicaia, it’s a fast evolving region too with numerous producers following the same path as the Antinori’s. This is understandable regarding the high prices those Super Tuscans have been fetching since the mid-90’s, the possibility of making cutting edge wines out of popular international varieties and the abundance of sunshine ensuring flavours and tannins to ripen fully and relatively easy. Angelo Gaja’s Ca’Marcanda is one of the new kids on the block, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot as main varieties planted in its vineyards. But as with most of its Piedmontese cousins the wines are voluntarily made as IGT’s, enabling cross-regional blending and the use of other varieties than permitted by the DOC regulations. The entry-level Promis fits exactly in this mould with 55% Merlot, 35% Shiraz – both from the Bolgheri estate – and 10% Sangiovese from Montalcino. This deep purple wine shows an attractive nose with loads of ripe red berries and seductive vanillan oak. Soft grainy tannins, generous fruit and balanced acid on a medium weight palate testify of skillful winemaking. Unfortunatly the absence of a defined sense of place makes this wine nothing really more than a well made, easy drinking Italian wine. 88 points.

 Source: Negociants Austrialia  Price: $50  Drink: Now-2010

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