Gaja - Gaia & Rey - Chardonnay
95 points - The Wine Advocate
93 points - The Wine Advocate
94 points - The Wine Advocate
93 points - The Wine Advocate
Gaja - Gaia & Rey - Chardonnay
95 points - The Wine Advocate
93 points - The Wine Advocate
94 points - The Wine Advocate
93 points - The Wine Advocate
Regular price€418.80
€418.80
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Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve is very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles
Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve is very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles
Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve is very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles
The Gaja 2018 Langhe Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve is very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles.
This wine was first made in 1983, and back then, no malolactic fermentation occurred. Jump forward in time to the 2017 Langhe Gaia & Rey, and this is another vintage in which malo did not start. (Partial malolactic returns in 2018). Since those first years of production, the oak usage has also been tweaked, now with less barrique in favor of more botte grande. Thanks to these changes, the aromatic profile of this wine veers toward citrus and rich tropical fruit, especially in a warm vintage such as this. However counterintuitive, this edition also shows a very bright and precise touch of acidity that serves to give the wine balanced and mouth-cleansing salinity.
It's hard not to love the 2016 Langhe Gaia & Rey. The winemaking approach has been tweaked to allow for less malolactic fermentation. Before, up to 60% or 70% of the mass completed malolactic fermentation, but with this vintage, that number has been reduced to about 20%. Indeed, the acidity is bright, forward and elegantly unmasked. This is a sharp and tonic white wine that delivers a firm grasp on the palate. The flavor profile includes citrus, honeydew melon and salty mineral nuances derived from limestone-rich soils.
From a hot vintage, the 2015 Langhe Gaia & Rey shows similar excellence as presented in the 2013 vintage, although its attributes are different. That wine was direct and linear reflecting the cooler summer months. This wine, however, promises to be more tonic, sharp and focused despite the warmer growing season. This pure expression of Chardonnay is made in a more reductive style in order to highlight that nervous and bright vein at the back. The winery is switching over to older barrique (some as old as a decade) and botte grande to allow for less oxygen in winemaking. The wine opens to aromas of Golden Delicious apple, white peach, wild sage, ginger and honey. This white wine shows enormous potential for further aromatic development and intensity.
Fresh, compelling and showing impressive definition, the Langhe Gaia & Rey is a beautiful creation and a wine that occupies a school of its own, especially considering its context that is so focused on great red wine production.
There are creeping similarities that are fun to note. Specifically, I am referring to the mouthfeel of this wine that shows sophistication, richness, and a creamy texture. It could drink well with structured foods, pork, or spicy beef tartare. The bouquet is plentiful and rich with passion fruit, melon, apricot, and toasted almond.
The wine is exuberant and generous. Given that I tasted a beautifully preserved 1996 vintage of Gaia & Rey at the same time, I feel confident in suggesting a very long drinking window.
Type: |
White |
Country: |
Italy |
Region: |
Piedmont |
Appellation: |
Langhe DOC |
Producer: |
Gaja |
Grapes/Blend: |
Chardonnay |
ABV: |
13.5% |
Pairing Sugesstions: |
Shellfish, Lobster, Goat Cheese, Green Vegetables, Pasta Dishes, Fresh Herbs and Aromatic Dishes |
Local Delivery
We have a fleet of vans that deliver throughout the French and Italian Riviera, rates calculated based on distance at cart stage. Option to book time and date.
For deliveries further afield, please call for a quote: +33 4 65 84 99 51
France / Monaco
1 - 2 working days delivery in France, for orders placed before 2pm.
Options for couriers and drop off points available at checkout.
EU - Mainland
1 - 3 day delivery throughout mainland EU, for orders placed before 2pm. Allow an extra day for islands.
Options for couriers and drop off points available at checkout.
Rest of the World
Please call for a quote: +33 4 65 84 99 51
