Ca' Marcanda

Angelo Gaja, already celebrated as the transformative force behind modern Barbaresco and Barolo, turned his attention to Bolgheri in the mid-1990s. He made 18 trips and spent nearly two years negotiating with the previous owners of the property before finally securing the land in 1996, a process so protracted that he named the estate Ca' Marcanda, meaning 'house of endless negotiations' in Piemontese dialect. The land he purchased was entirely uncultivated, consisting of olive groves and fruit orchards, and he planted the vineyards from scratch beginning in 1996 and 1997. Gaja commissioned architect Giovanni Bo to design a winery that would honor the Bolgheri landscape, resulting in a structure two-thirds underground that took six years to complete, opening in 2002. The first vintage under the Ca' Marcanda label was released in 2000, launching what has become a 25-year track record in one of Italy's most dynamic coastal appellations.

• Angelo Gaja made 18 trips over approximately two years before purchasing the estate in 1996
• The name Ca' Marcanda translates as 'house of endless negotiations' from Piemontese dialect
• Vineyards were planted from scratch on former olive groves and orchards starting in 1996 and 1997
• The underground winery designed by architect Giovanni Bo was completed in 2002 after six years of construction

Ca' Marcanda remains firmly within the Gaja family, with Angelo joined by his three children who represent the fifth generation: daughters Gaia and Rossana and son Giovanni. Guido Rivella, the longtime trusted winemaker who has supervised all three Gaja family domains for more than 30 years, continues to oversee production. Gaia Gaja, the eldest daughter, joined the Ca' Marcanda operation around 2017 and has taken responsibility for the export market, which accounts for 80% of all production. She speaks publicly about the estate's evolving focus on what she calls 'Italianity,' a pursuit of freshness, purity of fruit, and terroir expression over opulence. In April 2026, Ca' Marcanda celebrated its 30-year anniversary, with Gaia presenting wines dating back to the 2000 vintage. Angelo, who in 2019 received the Winemakers' Winemaker Award from the Institute of Masters of Wine, remains actively involved in the estate.

• Fifth generation includes daughters Gaia and Rossana and son Giovanni Gaja
• Guido Rivella has supervised all three Gaja family domains as winemaker for more than 30 years
• Gaia Gaja joined around 2017 and oversees export markets representing 80% of production
• Angelo Gaja received the Winemakers' Winemaker Award from the Institute of Masters of Wine in 2019

The Ca' Marcanda estate covers approximately 80 hectares entirely within the Bolgheri DOC appellation on the Tuscan coast. The vineyards are divided between two soil types that the estate distinguishes by name. The Terre Brune, or dark soils, are loamy and clay-rich, situated closer to the Tyrrhenian Sea, and are considered ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The Terre Bianche, or white soils, are stonier, composed of limestone and clay, and sit closer to the hills; these are better suited to Cabernet Franc and Syrah. The property is planted exclusively with international varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, and small amounts of Petit Verdot, along with white varieties Vermentino, Viognier, and Fiano for the estate's white wine. The estate also incorporates 150-year-old olive trees relocated during the winery's construction, reinforcing the commitment to integrating the project within its landscape.

• Total estate is approximately 80 hectares, entirely within Bolgheri DOC
• Terre Brune (dark soils): loamy and clay-rich, closer to the Tyrrhenian Sea, suited to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
• Terre Bianche (white soils): limestone and clay, stonier composition near the hills, suited to Cabernet Franc and Syrah
• White varieties Vermentino, Viognier, and Fiano are planted for the Vistamare blend

Ca' Marcanda produces four distinct wines, each expressing a different face of the estate's Bordeaux-inspired portfolio. The flagship Ca'Marcanda is an 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc blend made only in exceptional vintages. Magari, a Bordeaux blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot, targets the mid-tier of the range. Promis, the entry-level Super Tuscan, blends 55% Merlot, 35% Syrah, and 10% Sangiovese and Petit Verdot. Vistamare is a white wine of 40% Vermentino, 40% Viognier, and 20% Fiano. In recent vintages the team has made significant winemaking adjustments to pursue a fresher, more elegant style: vine training has shifted from Cordon to Guyot, and oak usage has been reduced to 60% tonneaux and 40% barrique with only 30% new oak. Fermentation now takes place across a mix of oak, stainless steel, and concrete vessels, reflecting the broader move toward terroir expression over extraction.

• Flagship Ca'Marcanda is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, produced only in exceptional vintages
• Recent shift to 60% tonneaux and 40% barrique with 30% new oak, down from earlier higher new-oak regimes
• Vine training converted from Cordon to Guyot to improve canopy management and fruit quality
• Fermentation vessels now include a combination of oak, stainless steel, and concrete tanks

When Angelo Gaja arrived in Bolgheri in 1996, he was the eleventh producer in the appellation. Today more than 65 estates operate there, and Bolgheri has become one of Italy's most internationally recognized wine zones. Ca' Marcanda's role in that story is significant: the Gaja name brought immediate global credibility to the region, and the investment in a world-class underground winery signaled long-term commitment at a time when the appellation was still proving itself. For students of Italian wine, the estate is a case study in how a producer defined by one region, Piedmont, successfully translated a philosophy of terroir, restraint, and precision into a completely different Italian context. The wines' evolution from the opulent, extracted style of the early 2000s to the current fresh, purity-driven approach also illustrates how Bolgheri's finest producers have refined their understanding of the coast's potential over 25 vintages.

• Gaja was the 11th producer in Bolgheri when he arrived in 1996; the region now has more than 65 producers
• The estate demonstrates that international varieties can express distinct Italian terroir when farmed and vinified with precision
• Ca' Marcanda's 30-year history tracks the full arc of Bolgheri's rise as a world-class appellation
• The evolution from opulent early vintages to current elegant, terroir-focused wines reflects broader shifts in coastal Tuscan winemaking