Caiarossa – 2021 Caiarossa

Caiarossa – 2021 Caiarossa.

A poised and beautifully expressive Tuscan blend that captures a pivotal moment in the estate’s evolution — a wine of depth, purity, and quiet confidence.

Caiarossa has always been a property defined by vision, but the estate now finds itself entering a decisive phase of maturity. Just over two decades since its founding, its vineyards have reached full physiological balance: roots running deep into the patchwork of soils, vines hardened by sun, wind, and the rhythm of the seasons. With this natural equilibrium comes a new level of precision and harmony. We believe that 2021 may well represent the estate’s most complete and compelling vintage to date — a wine shaped by both experience and youthful vitality.

About the Region

The Alta Maremma, perched along Tuscany’s western coastline, is one of Italy’s most dynamic modern wine regions. Ripened under Mediterranean light yet refreshed by maritime breezes, the hills of Riparbella offer a unique interplay of warmth and tension.

Here, soils shift dramatically from one parcel to the next — volcanic ash, clay, gravel, sandstone — giving growers a nuanced palette with which to sculpt blends that go far beyond a single-variety narrative. Combined with long, dry summers and cooling nights, the region produces wines that are both generous and lifted, combining Tuscan charm with structural precision.

In this context, Caiarossa stands out as an estate that embraces the full diversity of the land, translating it into wines of remarkable composure and aromatic depth.

About the Winery

Caiarossa was founded in 1998 and came under the stewardship of the Albada Jelgersma family in 2004, the same family behind Bordeaux estate Château Giscours. The vision has always been one of purity and balance, achieved through biodynamic farming and an unwavering respect for terroir.

The vineyards, now fully mature, are divided into distinct parcels matched to individual grape varieties. This thoughtful approach allows each component of the final blend to bring its own nuance — Syrah its depth and exotic spice, Cabernet Franc its lift and aromatic precision, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon their structure and dark fruit, and Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, and Grenache their coloring notes of tension, florals, and savory complexity.

The winery’s gravity-flow design ensures gentle handling, while parcel-by-parcel vinification preserves the individuality of every plot. With vine age reaching its optimal phase, Caiarossa has entered a new era in which fruit quality, balance, and natural harmony are more pronounced than ever.

About the Vintage

2021 was a radiant, finely tuned vintage for coastal Tuscany — warm yet balanced, with excellent diurnal differences that preserved acidity and aromatic definition.

Caiarossa harvested each variety at ideal maturity, resulting in a blend that reflects both the richness of the season and the estate’s increasingly confident touch. Aging took place over 14 months, with 30% new French oak, allowing the wine to gain texture without compromising its purity. Production reached 37,700 bottles, a testament to the estate’s precision and selectivity.

The combination of a luminous growing season and the estate’s maturing vineyards has produced a wine of clarity, freshness, and depth — a benchmark for the property.

About the Wine

The 2021 Caiarossa is a multilayered, elegant expression of the estate’s biodynamic vineyards — dense yet lifted, rich yet composed.

In the glass, it reveals a deep ruby hue with a purplish tinge, hinting at both concentration and youth. The nose opens with black currant, blackberry, and ripe plum, followed by notes of clove, wild herbs, dried eucalyptus, and subtle iron minerality. Floral accents and touches of cedar and spice emerge with air, underscoring the wine’s aromatic complexity.

On the palate, the wine is silky, structured, and remarkably balanced. The attack is firm and confident, delivering generous dark fruit wrapped in velvety tannins of impressive refinement. The mid-palate is dense yet never heavy — a streamlined flow of blackberries, bramble, spice, and savory undertones carried by vibrant natural acidity.

The oak is seamlessly integrated, adding gentle contours of sweetness and spice without intrusion. The wine’s freshness radiates from its core, giving lift to the richness and ensuring a long, graceful evolution in the glass.

The finish is persistent and harmonious, echoing with dark fruit, herbaceous nuance, and a mineral brightness that brings everything into equilibrium. It is a wine of power and grace — one that captures both the warmth of the vintage and the estate’s growing confidence.

Already accessible, the 2021 Caiarossa nevertheless promises significant aging potential. Over the next decade, expect tertiary notes of truffle, dried rose, and forest floor to emerge, deepening its already impressive textural and aromatic profile.

Conclusion

With the 2021 vintage, Caiarossa delivers a wine that feels like a milestone — the product of vineyards that have reached full maturity and a team that understands their estate more deeply each year. It is a poised and expressive blend, crafted with clarity and intention, and it stands among the most complete wines the property has produced.

We proudly award the 2021 Caiarossa a 95-point DWA Score — a superb expression of the estate’s philosophy, terroir, and growing maturity.

This review is written by our own Niels Aarts. Caiarossa is in imported in the Netherland by De Bruijn in Wijnen and available for direct and indirect sale (for consumer through their own webshop).

Taste Date:     December 2025

Website:         Caiarossa