2005 Lupicaia

Castello del Terriccio is one of Tuscany's most impressive properties. The estate is located in the upper reaches of Maremma, near Pisa and only a few kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Terriccio traces its rich history back at least several centuries, but vineyards were only planted in the late 1980s. Proprietor Dr. Gian Annibale Rossi di Medelana was inspired by the success of Sassicaia and he set out to make his version of Tuscany's most famous wine. Rossi sourced cuttings from some of France's top estates and began planting the high-density vineyards that are the source of Castello del Terriccio's top bottlings. Lupicaia, a Cabernet Sauvignon- based red, was introduced formally with the 1993 vintage, followed by Castello del Terriccio, which features Syrah, Petit Verdot and a host of other Mediterranean varieties. Both Lupicaia and Castello del Terriccio can be considered the estate's flagship high-end wines, while Tassinaia, formally the second wine of Lupicaia, is a decidedly more affordable red. More specifically, Lupicaia is Cabernet Sauvignon with a dollop of Merlot and Petit Verdot that can vary from year to year. The wine is fermented in stainless steel for 16-18 days with frequent delestage and subsequently aged in French oak barrels. Between 1999 and 2000 the estate began to reduce their reliance on new oak, lowered toasts levels and also shortened the amount of time the wine spends in barrel as they moved away from the excessively oaky style that was in vogue in Italy in the mid to late 1990s. The results in recent vintages have been nothing less than striking. Lupicaia, and all of the wines from Terriccio for that matter, are often hard to assess when they are young, as the wines are typically massively concentrated and tannic. This tasting with Dr. Rossi di Medelana and long-term consulting oenologist Carlo Ferrini provided a great opportunity to check in on a number of older vintages. In particular, I was thrilled with how the wines from the mid-1990s have aged. Even the early wines made with a heavy reliance on French oak are developing nicely, although stylistically they are bigger, bolder wines that impress more for their sheer volume rather than for their complexity. Considering the vineyards were just a few years old at the time, there is every reason to believe that current vintages will develop even more elegance with extended cellaring, particularly now that the use of French oak is more measured. This tasting was limited to just a few vintages from odd-numbered years (I am not sure if there was a reason for that) but readers fortunate enough to own any of these wines should be thrilled.

Castello del Terriccio is a large, sprawling estate located in the north of Maremma. These hillside vineyards overlook the ocean, which contributes to the unique microclimate at the property. A recent vertical of the estate's flagship Lupicaia going back to 1993 found the wines in great shape, with tons of freshness as well as notable complexity and nuance. That tasting will be posted on this site in the near future. The winemaking team, led by consulting oenologist Carlo Ferrini has done a fabulous job with these 2005s. The vintage wasn't an easy one, as rainfall was greater than normal and temperatures were on the cool side. Still, all of these wines show exceptional balance. Over the years the use of new oak in the top wines has come down, and what had begun to emerge is a wonderful clarity of the fruit that is grown on this remarkable property. The entry-level Tassinaia can be considered the second wine of Lupicaia.