I’m on a roll with Côte de Beaune reds lately! This 13’ Rugiens was absolutely incredible. Still brimming with youthful energy - it demanded patience, taking three hours to unfurl, but when it did, what unfolded was a wine of breathtaking purity, intensity, and drive. Dark cherries layered with musky florals and a whisper of spice mingled with a strikingly mineral core. It grew in stature across the palate, building to a finish that was both super long and fine, leaving a resonant, stony echo. Another profound lesson in weightless intensity! — a year ago
Caiarossa – “Pergolaia” Red blend– 2020
IGT Toscana – Riparbella, Alta Maremma – Italy 🇮🇹
Overview
A biodynamically farmed Super Tuscan red built around Sangiovese as the core, blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Pergolaia is Caiarossa’s most approachable expression, combining Mediterranean warmth with coastal freshness.
Aromas & Flavors
Red cherries, dried cranberry, tobacco leaf, and baking spices with hints of plum, cedar, and faint herbal tones. A mix of earthy Tuscan soul and dark-fruit Bordeaux flair.
Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied, supple, and structured with polished tannins and lively acidity. Balanced, savory, and elegant rather than opulent. The finish is clean with a gentle mineral echo.
Food Pairings
Pasta al ragù, roasted chicken, mushroom risotto, aged pecorino, or grilled sausages with herbs.
Verdict
A smart, quietly refined Tuscan blend, accessible yet serious, with the coastal lift that makes Caiarossa wines so compelling. A great value when you want nuance, not weight.
Did You Know?
Caiarossa farms according to Demeter-certified biodynamic principles, and their vineyards sit on a mix of clay, silt, and volcanic rock, a key reason for the signature mineral tension in their wines. — 11 days ago
Paired with a similarly aged Cote Rotie and poured in a blind tasting at my home to a group of interested wine drinkers.
This showed a more generous, fleshy expression of the grape as expected and still had a finely chiseled structure of finely textured tannins that echo a dryness of the vineyard's limestone soils.
Very good new world Syrah. — 3 years ago
Still one of the great alt whites in the world.
N: swirling white and yellow flowers. Almost an echo of tropical fruit.
P: delicious. Clean. Balanced. Juicy. Liquid yellow flowers. Some crunch. Mountain steam. Amazing elegance.
9.5-9.6. Sick value at this price.
Fass selections — 2 months ago
More savory than sweet, the 2021 Sylvaner lifts up with a cascade of dried flowers and gingery spice offset by a cooling air of dusty stone. Like tapping a mountain spring, this flows across the palate with a mineral-laden blend of crisp orchard fruit and citrus lifted by cooling acidity. The 2021 takes on a tropical air through the finish yet is tart, puckering the cheeks with residual tension as pretty inner florals and young kiwi echo throughout. This is a gorgeous style of Nossing’s Sylvaner. (Eric Guido, Vinous, May 2023) — 3 years ago
Velvety mouth feel. Can wine be creamy? — 3 years ago
John Howard
Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries
Nose is wow, palate is a little higher than meh. — 14 days ago