2017 - Gaja - Barbaresco - Onshore Cellars

Gaja - Barbaresco

95 points - The Wine Advocate
93 points - The Wine Advocate

Regular price €277.20 Inc Vat
€369.60 /l
Vintage
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The Gaja 2017 Barbaresco is nuanced and delicate with ever-expanding aromatic intensity that amply fills the balloon of your glass. The wine takes a little while to open fully, and it slowly releases forest berry, powdered licorice, toasted aniseed, spearmint, dried lavender and rosemary essence to build a lasting bouquet. The mouthfeel is streamlined and almost steely, with an extremely linear approach that adds to its length and persistency. The tannins are tucked into the wine's delicate fiber, but you do feel the extra textural firmness of the hot vintage nonetheless. As we have seen in past vintages, more definition is added by a pretty mineral note that is a common thread in these wines from Gaja. Production is 38,000 bottles.
The 2015 Barbaresco was to be bottled a week after I tasted this sample for review. Gaia Gaja was waiting for the right moon before commencing bottling. This vintage is not unlike the 2005 growing season that saw a good amount of rain in spring and scorching heat in the summer. The risk of downy mildew made vintners extra vigilant. Although the 2015 vintage was not ideal for color fixing Nebbiolo (indeed, this wine is slightly less intense in terms of its color saturation), it did prove an important year for power, structure and dry extract. This is a full and generous expression with a fine, loose texture and rich fruit flavours.
The 2008 Barbaresco emerges from the glass with sweet red cherries, spices, flowers and licorice. This is an attractive Barbaresco with excellent depth and a firm, tannic spine that is very nicely integrated with the fruit. The 2008 isn’t a blockbuster, but it should drink well with minimum cellaring. This is a classic, linear Barbaresco endowed with terrific energy and focus. Right now the 2008 seems to be holding its cards close to the vest. I would not be surprised to see it show even better in a few years’ time. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2028. This is a stunning set of wines from Angelo Gaja and his team in Barbaresco. Those who think 2008 is a truly great year for Nebbiolo must have tasted these wines. In a vintage that is inconsistent across the villages of Barbaresco, Gaja has produced not one but four stellar wines. As fabulous as these wines are, they aren’t especially true to type, as I explain in these notes. The 2008s I tasted in the US showed far better than the bottles I tasted in Barbaresco during the summer. Perhaps the onset of the cool fall weather gave these wines a little more spine than they had during the sweltering heat of August. Readers who want to learn more about the 2011 harvest at Gaja may want to take a look at my video interview with Gaia Gaja and vineyard manager Giorgio Culasso. - Antonio Galloni
Type:
Red
Country:
Italy
Region:
Piedmont
Appellation:
Barbaresco
Producer:
Gaja
Grapes/Blend:
Nebbiolo

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More about Gaja

The Gaja family settled in Piedmont in the mid-seventeenth century. Five generations of Gaja’s have been producing wines in the Langhe hills since 1989, the year Giovanni...

The Gaja family settled in Piedmont in the mid-seventeenth century. Five generations of Gaja’s have been producing wines in the Langhe hills since 1989, the year Giovanni Gaja, a local grape grower, founded the Gaja winery in Barbaresco.

Following years of dedication to uncompromising quality, the wines achieved a leadership position in Italy and the family was able to purchase vineyard holdings acquiring Sorì Tildìn, Costa Russi, Sorì San Lorenzo and Darmagi.

Angelo Gaja took over the family business in 1961 and combined his respect for the traditions of the Langhe with bold innovations in the vineyards and cellars which changed the way that wines were produced all over Italy.

Angelo lives in Barbaresco with his wife Lucia and their three children, Gaia, Rossana and Giovanni who represent the fifth generation of the family and are all involved in the business.

Today the winery owns 96 ha of vineyards in Barbaresco and Barolo. In 1994, the Gajas acquired their first estate in Tuscany, Pieve Santa Restituta in Montalcino. In 1996 the family purchased their second Tuscan property, Ca’ Marcanda in Bogheri.

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explore Piedmont

Piemonte (Piedmont) occupies most of northwestern Italy, bordering Switzerland in the north and France in the west and almost reaching the Mediterranean coast. Its capital and largest...

Piemonte (Piedmont) occupies most of northwestern Italy, bordering Switzerland in the north and France in the west and almost reaching the Mediterranean coast. Its capital and largest city is Turin (Torino).

In the wine world, Piemonte is best known for the twin titans of Barolo and Barbaresco, along with other popular red wines made from Barbera and Dolcetto, the white Gavi, and sparkling Asti.

It has more DOCGs (17) and DOCs (42) than any other region (see maps: Asti area, Langhe, Monferrato, and northern), but no IGPs. In 2016, Piemonte produced 2.5 million hl (28.3 million cases) of wine, the majority of it (55%) red and 83% at the DOP level. The region’s primary grape varieties are Barbera (31%), Moscato (22%), Dolcetto (13%), and Nebbiolo (10%).

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