| | Today I had the good fortune to be invited by my favorite retailer, McCarthy & Schiering, to a Gaja tasting at Nell's Restaurant on Greenlake. The folks from Paterno imports led us through the lineup over the course of about 90 minutes. I have had a handful of Piedmont-based wines from Gaja, and this tasting was a solid reminder of the house style. Intense and very focused with a tight core of violet and raspberry, these are wines of extraction and purity. They are certainly not traditional, and the price tag is shocking. However, the wines are impressive. - 2002 Ca' Marcanda (Gaja) Promis Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
The nose shows loads of sour cherry and then some vanilla. The palate is fairly soft, not terribly well defined. The least impressive wine of the tasting.
- 2001 Ca' Marcanda (Gaja) Magari - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
The nose is brambly with a somewhat austere palate, quite tart. This does have nice structure, and with an hour in the glass it unfolded pretty well.
- 1999 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Conteisa - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
Lots of rose and violet on the nose with hints of tar and then some mushroom. The palate shows great acidity but is a bit monolithic. Tarry, intense. Mouthwatering acid.
- 1999 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Costa Russi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
OK, here we go. This shows a rocking, focused core of raspberry, much more intensity than the Conteise, really lively acidity.
- 1999 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sorì Tildìn - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
Wow, now we are into the big time. This has an explosive nose tha leaps out of the glass. Quite tarry on the nose with some vanilla and loads of violet and raspberry. Wow, what a palate! Long stunning with no rough edges.
- 1999 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sorì San Lorenzo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
This is clearly the wine of the tasting, no contest, easily 95+ and then some. The nose was reticent at first but kept building to show massive notes of violet, pure, floral and high pitched with a hint of cedary barrique. The palate is where this wine slays you, lush with amazing mouthfeel, silky tannins, fantastic depth of fruit, laser focused, with amazing tooth-coating tannins that show up almost a minute after you have taken a sip. Wow!
- 1998 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
The clear #2 wine of the tasting. Much more tar on the nose. On the palate this is masculine and brawny, a monster, black and tarry, very dark and the most imposing of all the wines tasted. The palate is enjoyable though with sweet fruit amidst the bruising structure.
- 1999 Gaja Langhe Darmagi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
The nose here is quite different and shows much more charcoal, mineral and licorice with some Play-Do emerging on the nose. The palate manages to be both floral and earthy with compelling waves of black cherry. Quite nice.
The Paterno boys really bristled at the idea of a spit-cup for these wines, so we had little choice but to stay for dinner to let the Gaja soak in for a few hours. While we were sitting down for the meal, a decanter made its way by the table... - 1985 Gaja Langhe Darmagi - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
Someone had brought a bottle of their own to the tasting, bless them! The nose was a little off-putting with a strong green streak, but the palate was earthy with intense minerality and very soft, resolved mouthfeel.
As if we hadn't enjoyed enough, the wine list had some enticing gems as well! - 1981 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Purchased from the list at Nell's. You have to love a wine list with Beaucastel 1981, 1983, 1988, and 1990 (in 375ml) at prices that I can stomach.
The cork was a bit more wet than I would like, but this was a fabulous, mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Very sound, very complex and very enjoyable. The sweet nose exploded with some horse, garrigue, licorice, olives, tapenade and even some roasted meat. Wow, I could smell this for an eternity! The palate is stunning: savory, herbal and sweet, all at the same time. This has everything I want in a mature wine, just an explosion of sweet, complex and mature fruit, gorgeously soft mouthfeel, loads of life. With sauteed sweatbreads and then pan-seared duck breast this was a lovely accompaniment. (94 pts.)
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