Caiarossa

To trace a definitive line between poetry and technique is impossible. The tangible reality of oenological and viticultural competence mix indissolubly with the beauty and emotions which  our estate, this place, gives us with its colors and aromas, inspiring our estate’s vision of the world.

The company logo is represented by an ancient clay head of Etruscan origin representing the Greek god Dionysus and dating from the fourth century B.C., discovered near the city of Volterra and now the property of Eric Albada Jelgersma.

God of vegetation and of wine, particularly linked to the vital lymph, the first-born of the cosmos, and to the liberation of the senses, it is the perfect representation of what we wish to transmit with our wines.

The name of Caiarossa was coined as a homage to the soil, which is characterized by the presence of jasper, rock and pebbles intensely red in color. A creative name inspired by Gaia, mother of all the gods of Mount Olympus, goddess of fertility and of Nature, of the very Earth itself.

Our story began in 1998, taking as its guide the principles of organic agriculture for the cultivation of the vineyards and that of geo-dynamics and the oriental discipline of Feng Shui for the construction of the cellars.

But it was in the year 2004, when it was acquired by Eric Albada Jelgersma, that Cairossa entered the world of quality wine thanks to the decades of experience which this family had acquired with two Grands Crus Classés in Margaux, Bordeaux, Château Giscours and Château du Tertre.

The road which leads to Cairossa is immersed in wild Mediterranean brush land with opens up only occasionally with a panoramic view which shows sweetly rolling hillsides dotted with century-old olive groves, a few country farmhouses and, deep on the horizon, the Tyrrhenian Sea, gleaming in a silvery light. The cellars, red like the center of the earth, perched on the southern slopes of the hill, loom up unexpectedly before one’s very eyes.

Night is dark at Caiarossa, black in an obscurity which allows us to discover stars whose existence was unknown to us, while the day, the shimmering of sunlight off the distant sea, offers an almost magical light.

It is never excessively hot thanks to an altitude which allows the sea breezes to blow, cooling plants and animals and permeating the air with sensations of salt. But is never too cool, either, because to our backs the woods and the hills offer a paternal protection from cold and gusting  north winds.

The Val di Cecina (the Cecina river valley), the town of Riparbella to be precise, is the place where Cairossa is cradled: it rises up on a hill halfway between the ancient city of Volterra and Pisa.

The earth does not belong to mankind, it is mankind which belongs to the earth.

Element in this holistic vision are the men and women of our team who take full and constant care of what nature has created and, with passion and competence, transform it into high-quality products. The Caiarossa team consists of a staff of professionals and skilled workers who, during the year, follow all of the vineyard operations and the cellar work, from fermentation all the way to bottling. They are aided and supported by a division in charge of sales, logistics, and communication.

At Caiarossa, it is evident that oenologic culture looks beyond the Alps and could not be otherwise with an owner (Eric Albada Jelgersma) and a general manager (Alexander Van Beek) whose principal focus pivots on the two châteaux in Bordeaux: Château du Tertre e Château Giscours. Lorenzo Pasquini is in charge of the task of selection and supervision of the winemaking, manager and enologist who graduated in Pisa and Bordeaux, besides boasting precious work experience in Bordeaux and Argentina.

The philosophy which links innovation and tradition, Man and the Universe.

Biodynamic agriculture was officially born in 1924, and the founder of this new vision and philosophy was Rudolf Steiner, philosopher, researcher, and the founder of anthroposophy, literally the knowledge of the nature of man.

A philosophy based on a holistic conception of the Universe, conceived as a whole which goes beyond the mere sum of the various parts from which it is composed. To adhere to this biodynamic philosophy requires an important effort aimed at creating a harmonious bond between Nature and Man, between all living beings and the universe which hosts them.

Deep ties to the environment lead us to eliminate the utilization of both mineral fertilizers produced by chemical synthesis and of chemical pesticides and to cultivate the vineyards by means of close daily control and attention.The soil is worked using animal manure and the residues of  the fermentation of the grapes, green manure, and biodynamic preparations, and the cover crop is a mixture of various sown seeds.

These operations, by increasing the fertility of the soil, give it an additional vitality, and allow the plants to grow in a healthy way. Protection of the vines is carried out by aiming at preventive action and the stimulation the natural defenses of the plants. We spray with low doses of sulfur and copper supplemented by various plant and seaweed extracts, use pesticides based on natural mineral substances and utilize “sexual confusion” methods to control the insect population in the vineyards.

In biodynamic agriculture these operations are carried out on the basis of cosmic and lunar cycles; by creating a full resonance with the rhythms of the universe, we manage to fully amplify their effects.

Since its foundation in 1998 Caiarossa followed the principles of biodynamic agriculture. In 1999 we started working with Demeter and we obtained the biodynamic certification in 2005. Furthermore since 2003 Caiarossa is organic certified.

Our methods of vinification follow natural cycles. The harvest is the final process of the tireless and assiduous work which continues throughout the entire year. It usually begins in September and lasts until November when the Petit Manseng, whose grapes have been allowed to dry and raisin directly on the vine, are finally brought to the cellars.

Each variety is rigorously picked into small, 33 pound (15 kilogram) packing cases, and the order of the harvest follows the sub-division of the vineyard parcels, selecting the grapes only on the basis of their level of ripeness even within the confines of the various plots.

The red grapes are brought to the cellars where they are sorted and selected both before and after destemming. They then drop directly into, and fill, the cement and oak fermenting tanks located two floors below, utilizing solely the force of gravity and thereby avoiding the use of mechanical pumping.

After the period of fermentation, skin contact and malolactic fermentation which last approximately two months, the wine goes – again descending by the force of gravity  – into large, medium-sized, and small casks and barrels situated on the floor below.

Here they go through the malolactic fermentation and age for a period of time which varies according to the grape variety and type of wine for which they will be utilized. Both of these processes occur spontaneously through the action of indigenous yeasts and bacteria. At the end of the aging period, the wines, following intense tasting sessions, are assembled in cement tanks where they remain for approximately a year.