Caiarossa
Caiarossa is the flagship red of a biodynamic Riparbella estate on the Tuscan Coast, a barrique-aged blend led by Cabernet Franc and Syrah with Sangiovese. Polished, dark-fruited and savoury, it drinks well young and cellars for 15 years or more.
Drinker consensus and the estate's own notes line up: black fruit and sweet spice over tobacco, leather and a balsamic, mineral edge drawn from the red-rock soils of Riparbella. Vivino rates Caiarossa 4.3 across more than 9,000 ratings.
The nose is layered: blackberry and dark plum lift into tobacco, vanilla and sweet spice from 14 months in French oak barriques, with violet and a balsamic, mineral edge that Caiarossa draws from Riparbella's red-rock soils. Vivino's most-cited descriptors are oak, tobacco and vanilla.
Violet
Black cherry
Blackberry
Plum
Tobacco
Leather
Black pepper
VanillaMedium to full bodied, it carries ripe black fruit and a peppery, savoury depth from the Syrah and Cabernet Franc that lead the blend, while the cool nights of the Tuscan Coast keep the acidity fresh. The tannins are firm but polished, what Vivino drinkers call 'alive and compact', and 14.5% alcohol lends weight without heat.
The finish is long and savoury, closing on leather, dark spice and the fine-grained, French-oak grip that lets top Caiarossa vintages cellar for 15 to 20 years.
Caiarossa is the biodynamic estate's flagship, an international-leaning Costa Toscana blend that drinkers rate 4.3 on Vivino across more than 9,000 ratings and that critics routinely score 94 to 97 points. It rewards a few years in the cellar and suits anyone who likes polished, savoury Tuscan reds with Bordeaux poise.
Caiarossa sells for roughly £57 to £61 a bottle in the UK, with vintages from 2017 to 2022 in circulation. The wine is strikingly consistent: every recent release has earned 94 points or more from at least one major critic.
Caiarossa rates highly for food versatility, cellar potential and occasion, reflecting its barrique-aged structure and Costa Toscana pedigree. As a £57 international-leaning blend it is less of an everyday or beginner pour.
Ripe but firm tannin, fresh Tuscan-Coast acidity and a savoury, peppery profile make Caiarossa a natural with grilled and braised red meat and game.
A biodynamic Costa Toscana flagship with 94 to 97 point reviews is a confident choice for a celebration or a gift.
Around 14 months in French oak barriques and balanced, structured fruit let top vintages hold and improve for 15 to 20 years.
At about £57 a bottle Caiarossa is priced in line with critically rated Costa Toscana blends; its consistent 94 to 97 point scores make it fair value rather than a bargain.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Toscana denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
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The estate frames 2019 as 'perfect harmony', 2020 as the bright sun of the Tuscan Coast and a Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri, 2021 as silky-tannined ripeness, and 2022 as a vintage of precision. All age about 14 months in French oak barriques.
A precise Tuscan-Coast vintage: cooling rains from mid-August slowed ripening and preserved freshness, giving velvety tannins and deep balance. Cabernet Franc led the blend at 32%. James Suckling rated it 97 points.
Perfect ripeness on the Tuscan Coast after a dry, stable August and a warm, sunny September yielded soft, silky tannins. Syrah led the blend at 30%. Falstaff and James Suckling both scored it 96 points.
The bright sun of the Tuscan Coast gave high-quality, well-ripened tannins, with late-August rain refreshing the vines. Cabernet Franc led at 28%. Awarded Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri and 95 points from Vinous.
One of the estate's most harmonious recent vintages: fresher nights and six well-timed rainfalls avoided stress and built balance. Syrah led at 26%. James Suckling and Falstaff both scored it 96 points.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Shaped by former Bordeaux owner Eric Albada Jelgersma and farmed biodynamically across 31 hectares at 200 metres near Riparbella, Caiarossa marries a Bordeaux-plus-Syrah blend to Sangiovese and the sea-cooled freshness of the Tuscan Coast.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Toscana is in the IGT tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Toscana falls within Tuscany , covering Tuscany.
Caiarossa farms biodynamically with no synthetic fertilisers or pesticides and hand-harvests every parcel, pushing labour and yield costs well above a conventional Tuscan estate.
Each variety and parcel ferments separately in concrete and wood before the final blend, multiplying the cellar work behind a single £57 bottle.
Ageing roughly 14 months in French oak barriques, including a share of new wood, adds barrel and cellar cost that a steel-aged Toscana IGT avoids.
Scores of 94 to 97 points from James Suckling, Decanter and Falstaff, plus Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri for the 2020, support a UK price near £57 to £61.
Bottling as Toscana IGT rather than a yield-capped DOCG keeps regulatory and ageing costs below a comparable Brunello or Bolgheri Superiore.
UK excise duty on still wine to 15% ABV is about £2.67 a bottle, and 20% VAT on a £57 wine adds roughly £9.50 before the retailer's margin.
Dishes that complement this wine
Caiarossa's ripe tannin, 14.5% structure and savoury, peppery edge favour char-grilled beef, braised meat and game. Its freshness keeps even a rich Fiorentina steak or brasato from feeling heavy.
Caiarossa's firm, ripe tannin binds the protein and char of a rare Fiorentina, while its 14.5% body matches the meat's richness. The Tuscan-Coast freshness then resets the palate between bites.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · tagliata · grilled ribeye · More pairings →
Long braising softens connective tissue and concentrates a savoury depth that mirrors the wine's leather and balsamic notes. Its tannin cuts the gelatinous richness while the acidity lifts the sauce.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · ossobuco alla Milanese · wild boar pappardelle · More pairings →
The Syrah and Cabernet Franc in the blend give pepper and violet aromatics that bridge to rosemary and garlic on lamb. The meat's fat rounds the tannin into something supple.
Try with: Agnello Ragu Lucano · roast rack of lamb · grilled lamb chops · More pairings →
Aged pecorino brings salt and fat that the wine's tannin and dark fruit absorb, while its freshness stops the pairing turning heavy. Crisp pan carasau keeps the match lively.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged Pecorino Toscano · Parmigiano Reggiano · More pairings →
Porcini and truffle echo the earthy, mineral side of Caiarossa, and its medium acidity keeps buttery pasta from cloying. The tannin stays in the background so the fungi lead.
Try with: pappardelle ai porcini · tagliatelle al tartufo · risotto ai funghi · More pairings →
Skip delicate white fish and raw shellfish: the oak, 14.5% alcohol and tannic grip overwhelm them and can turn metallic. Fierce chilli heat, as in a vindaloo, only sharpens the tannin and the alcohol burn.
Skip with: sushi · oysters · vindaloo · sweet-and-sour pork · Pairing guide →
With about 14 months in French oak and the balance of cool-night Riparbella fruit, top Caiarossa vintages such as 2019, 2020 and 2021 hold for 15 to 20 years, peaking around a decade after harvest.
Peak around 2032. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
Around 14 months in French oak barriques and balanced, structured fruit let top vintages hold and improve for 15 to 20 years.
£57.20 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
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Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumCaiarossa is a multi-variety blend that shifts slightly each vintage, led by Cabernet Franc and Syrah alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot and a touch of Grenache. The 2021 was 30% Syrah and 20% Cabernet Franc; the 2022 was 32% Cabernet Franc.
Yes. The Riparbella estate has farmed biodynamically since it was founded in 1998, and the cellar was even laid out following Feng Shui principles. No synthetic fertilisers or pesticides are used across its 31 hectares of vineyard.
Caiarossa is built to cellar. Aged about 14 months in French oak barriques, structured vintages such as 2019, 2020 and 2021 will drink well for 15 to 20 years, peaking roughly a decade after the harvest.
Expect blackberry and plum fruit framed by tobacco, vanilla and sweet spice, with leather, balsamic depth and a fresh, mineral lift. Vivino drinkers rate it 4.3 from over 9,000 ratings and consistently flag its oak-framed elegance.
Pour it with char-grilled Tuscan beef, slow-braised meat and game, or aged pecorino. Its ripe tannin and savoury freshness handle Fiorentina steak, brasato and ossobuco especially well.
Recent vintages are all strongly rated: 2019 for harmony, 2020 for ripe Tuscan-Coast sun and a Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri, 2021 for silky tannins, and 2022 for precision and freshness at 97 points from James Suckling. Younger vintages reward a few years in the cellar.
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