Gaja Ca'Marcanda Promis 2020

Gaja is one of the most recognizable names in Italy. In their winemaking and vineyard operations, they're a force to be reckoned with indeed. It's not just that the wines are quality, marrying vineyard expression to concentration and power...it's that it's still made by a family!  Even a couple years ago (maybe even today) you could catch Angelo Gaja having a nice lunch of carne crudo at the Trattoria Antica Torre in the main square. Incidentally, across the street there's a metal gate with the GAJA name emblazoned in the center. The point is that Gaja is a small/large winery, rather a family of wineries. Ca'Marcanda ("house of negotiations") is a property in the coastal Bolgheri area of Tuscany that has for more than 20 years provided the Gaja family with an outpost in central Italy. It's also an amazing way for them to explore vinifying grapes like Merlot and Syrah. This wine is a blend of those two and some Sangiovese. It carries the Gaja weight behind it in both name and richness.

Tasting notes: chocolate-covered cherries, Carpano Antica vermouth, bay leaf and sage

pairings: NY Strip steak with rosemary butter