Lupicaia (2005)

About this wine

Lupicaia 2005 is a Cabernet Sauvignon led Super Tuscan from Castello del Terriccio on the Tuscan coast, built around dark fruit and a distinctly Mediterranean edge. The first impression is blackcurrant and plum, then it turns more savory with cedar, tobacco, and a hint of tar like complexity. You will also notice a fresh herbal thread that reads as thyme and eucalyptus, which keeps the wine feeling lively rather than heavy. The tannins are firm and structured, giving it a serious, long finish that lingers on dark berries and spice. The wine’s name comes from local lore tied to wolves in the area, and the label’s twin red lines nod to the iron rich soils that helped shape this estate’s signature style.

About the grape

Lupicaia is built around Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux grape that Castello del Terriccio planted in the 1980s for its structure and ageing potential, grown on calcareous sandy soils at roughly 120 meters with south facing exposures and relatively low yields to concentrate flavors. Merlot was used in earlier vintages including 2005 to provide softness and mid palate lift, traditionally planted at similar densities and blended in small proportions until the estate shifted the cuvee after 2009. Petit Verdot appears in minor amounts to add color and tannic backbone, it is planted on parcels with clayier subsoil and worked for lower yields to increase concentration. Each variety has historically been fermented and aged separately in Allier oak barrels or tonneaux, then assembled, which highlights the role of each grape in the final Lupicaia blend.

Quick facts

• 🐺 The name Lupicaia comes from a local spot where wolves were once seen, so the wine’s name literally evokes a wolf-haunted hill in the estate’s folklore.
• 🏅 The 2005 vintage of Lupicaia earned high praise from critics and was given 18/20 by Jancis Robinson, making it one of the estate’s early celebrated releases.
• 🟥 The label’s two dark red lines are a playful nod to the iron-rich red soil of the Lupicaia vineyard, a visible signature on every bottle.
• 🌿 The Lupicaia vineyard is ringed by eucalyptus windbreaks, a quirky feature that many tasters say adds a subtle balsamic or minty lift to vintages like 2005.
• 🧩 Although now often bottled with Petit Verdot, the 2005 blend still included Merlot, reflecting the wine’s original recipe before the blend shift around 2010.

Palate profile

Producer

Castello del Terriccio grew from a large agricultural estate in Tuscany into a renowned wine producer after major land improvements in the 1920s and reorientation to quality agriculture in the late 20th century. The estate was substantially redeveloped when Gian Annibale Rossi di Medelana inherited it in 1975 and began planting high density vineyards of international grape varieties. The property introduced the acclaimed Lupicaia in 1993 and later added flagship labels such as Castello del Terriccio and Tassinaia, focusing on careful micro vinification and oak aging. Today the estate spans roughly 1,500 hectares with about 65 hectares planted to vine, and it combines biodiversity conservation with modern winemaking facilities. The family celebrated a century of ownership and ongoing investment in hospitality and on site experiences in recent years.