Caiarossa
A Wonderful Tasting at Vinum55 with Caiarossa and Château Giscours
Last evening a rare and appreciated treat at Vinum55 in Scottsdale with two wineries, one in Italy and one in France, owned by the same family being presented and tasted. While only five exquisite wines were served due to the rarity and price points, each were remarkable. Pricing for the wines ranged from $85 to $140/bottle. It was the only session I attended where all the wines were given my higher scores across the board.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
After a brief introduction by Shelly Fitzgerald of Vinum55 (on the right) , she turned the presentation and tasting over to Pauline Wlodarzyck from the winery.
Caiarossa was founded in 1998, and AJ Family Domaines acquired the estate in 2004. The land is biodynamic farmed with similar winemaking practices in place. The property is in Tuscany between Volterra and Ceche just outside Riparbella. The estate receives cool breezes off the sea, and the vineyards are located up on the hillsides. The land is worked by hand due to the steep sloped vineyards.
Now with the background information in hand, we commenced the tasting!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We started out the evening with 2022 Caiarossa, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Grenache. Both this one and next were smooth, lively and provided an airy freshness. In the glass, both wines were radiant and bright.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The second wine was a 2017 Caiarossa that was a warm/hot year in Italy producing ripe fruits tasted of Plum and red fruits. A similar blend to the first with percentages varying and this substituting Alicante Bouschet instead of Grenache. This provided on the palate a more earthy with slightly more tannins and acidity than the 2022. A soft note of sweetness was noted on the finish.
Picture from http://www.TripAdvisor.comTripadvisor
We then moved on to three of Château Giscours with its tasting room and guest rooms building dating back to the 1790’s. This is located on the left bank of Bordeaux in the town of Labarde, in the Margaux appellation of the Médoc, Bordeaux, France. The refurbished winery was built using gravity fed principles for winemaking and even included feng shui concepts into the architecture. Their 2025 was named Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator. The estate is 400 acres with no irrigation.
Started off with the 2022 Château Giscours with lively fruit being noted in the glass. On the eyes this received a noted “Excellence” with the bright coloring.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The next wine was the 2020 Château Giscours that on the eyes was crisp, semi-transparent made with 56% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Merlot fermented in both stainless steel and concrete tanks. The wine was aged in 50% French Oak barrels for 12-15 months. This produced an elegant and voluptuous wine with energetic berries abounding on the palate. This wine received scores all in the mid 90’s by a host of critics. This received my highest rating during the tasting.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A very special treat of the 2008 Château Giscours was offered. This wine on the nose had both an earthy and barnyard character, with tastes of tobacco and layers of enjoyment. The finish provided smooth and silky tannins. I noticed just a hint of copper on the edges but beyond enjoyable to the last sip!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A great tasting by any standard and very much appreciated by those attending. A big hearty thanks to Pauline and Vinum55 for holding this event.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com