Gaja Ca’Marcanda Vistamare

Gaja Ca’Marcanda Vistamare is a premium Tuscan white wine blend crafted at Gaja’s renowned Ca’Marcanda estate in the Maremma region of southern Tuscany. It is the only Italian white wine produced alongside three Tuscan red wines: Promis, Magari and Ca’Marcanda itself. It was first produced in 2009.

Gaja: A Piedmont Wine Legend

Gaja Wines is quite simply one of the most famous Italian wine producers. The business was founded in 1859 in Langhe, Piedmont, by Giovanni Gaja, and it is his great-grandson, Angelo Gaja, who currently runs the company. They are most famous for classic Piedmont wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco. Indeed, Angelo has often been referred to as the “King of Barbaresco” and has been responsible for developing techniques that have revolutionised winemaking in Italy.

Expansion into Tuscany

Gaja bought their first property in Tuscany, called Pieve Santa Restituta, in 1994. This was swiftly followed by the second Tuscan property, Ca’Marcanda, located at Castagneto Carducci in Bolgheri, in 1996. Whereas the concentration at Pieve Santa Restituta is on more traditional wines, the focus at Ca’Marcanda is on international grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot) and “Super-Tuscan” style blends.

The estate consists of 300 acres of vineyards, divided between Bolgheri (170 acres, bought in 1996 where the winery is located) and Bibbona (120 acres, gradually bought over the last 20 years). As well as four Tuscan wines, the estate also produces a superb Grappa.

Gaja Ca’Marcanda Vistamare Winemaking

Gaja Ca’Marcanda Vistamare is bottled as a Toscana IGP. The vineyard lies on a hillside overlooking the Tyrrhenian coast and benefits from the great luminosity and the heady marine breeze of the Mediterranean. The 2023 is a blend of three different white grape varieties: Vermentino, Viognier and Fiano (in previous vintages the blend has included Sauvignon Blanc and/or Semillon). This very limited production Tuscan white wine is fermented in stainless steel and then matured in a combination of stainless steel tanks and barrels for 6 months.

Why Is It Called “Vistamare”?

“Vistamare” means “sea view” in Italian, and the vineyards used for Vistamare offer a panoramic view of the Tuscan horizon, where the grapes are “gently touched by the salt air and brilliant colours of the Tuscan sea”. Additionally, it serves as a tongue-in-cheek reference to less-than-scrupulous coastal hotel owners who market rooms with limited views of the Mediterranean as “Vistamare.”

All Ca’marcanda wines are available to buy at Fareham Wine Cellar.