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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.9 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 61 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by jfpwine on 11/21/2023 & rated 92 points: This is still very young and needs time in the decanter to uncoil. Faded ruby with a hint of garnet. Dried herbs, rose petals, dried red fruit on the nose. Medium+ body, with the fruit showing more on the attack, ending with drying tannins. This is great but will benefit from some more time in the cellar. Very long finish. (568 views) | | | Tasted by Poisey on 4/11/2023 & rated 94 points: Regal with notes of ash, earth, tar, truffle and violets. Velvety smooth with ripe seamless tannin Long finish with perfect balance. Notes of tea leaf and red ripe berry fruit on the aftertaste that lingers for what seams forever. Beautiful wine. Drink now-2035. (719 views) | | | Tasted by AudunG on 8/19/2022 & rated 93 points: Lovely aromas with light berries, autumn leaves, flowers and som oak. Tight, intense and grippy in the mouth, but also elegant and agreable. (1652 views) | | | Tasted by dannyg on 6/5/2022 & rated 92 points: The wine has still lots of fruits and structure and the acids there to provide longevity. A good 30-sec finish but no tertiary characters! (1421 views) | | | Tasted by wxs2102 on 6/3/2022 & rated 93 points: At Momofuku Ssam Bar NYC. 1 hour decant, followed over 2. It’s ready: initial faint VA notes blew odd very quickly, dusty with well-integrated tannins, whiffs of candied walnuts and dried cranberries. Palate is full, not overly rich and generous but rounded and blossoming, 30 second finish. This is a food wine. In a great spot to drink up right now. (1776 views) | | | Tasted by Joika on 4/2/2022: Simular to Ch Musar 2012 (1576 views) | | | Tasted by TightLettuce on 12/19/2021 & rated 93 points: Heaven...
Crimson in color, darker than expected, with noticeable bricking
Dusty cherry nose with the classic rose petal and road tar notes in full throttle
Palate was dynamite, silky smooth very well integrated oak, and a long finish. Simply stunning. The tannins were a touch grainy, and there was not as much mouth-feel as some of the single vineyard gajas but still it was so so good.
I loved where this wine is sitting from an aging perspective. Would encourage anyone to open theirs and try them at this stage.
93pts (1661 views) | | | Tasted by GuWin on 9/23/2021 & rated 93 points: Middels dyp rød med svakt murstensfarget kant. Middels intens og herlig, innsmigrende duft av moreller og kirsebær, fioler, roseblader, svake røyktoner og høstløv. Ren og fruktig smak, bygger seg sakte opp til en god kraftpakke; først noe beskjeden, men duverden her er det elegant ‘power’! Jeg var litt usikker på hvor drikkeklar denne var nå, og selv om den virker ungdommelig er den drikkeklar og moden. Flott balanse frukt/fylde/tannin, veldig delikat med sødmefull rødbærsfruktighet. Lang og lineær smakskurve med et behagelig snerp i avslutningen. (1292 views) | | | Tasted by Mchiarot on 3/20/2021 & rated 93 points: drinking very well now. I found this wine to be elegant, still with good fruit, but definitely moving into the end of it best before date. I suspect this wine will hold for a few more years, but I doubt there is improvement to come. Paired with Italian wedding soup, which worked incredibly well. (1723 views) | | | Tasted by ILarsen on 2/20/2021 & rated 92 points: Clearly an interesting wine - I wrote last time that I would keep my last bottles for 5 years - I still have on bottle left - but I should also have kept this bootle - because actually not a lot has happened since I had my last bottle last year. For a more detailed comments about the notes see my old rating. We are staying at solid 92. (1474 views) | | | Tasted by GFischmann on 7/31/2020 & rated 92 points: Balance wine with residual red fruit. Tannins and acidity are balanced. Developing nice tertiary notes with out loss of body (1850 views) | | | Tasted by ILarsen on 6/5/2020 & rated 92 points: Clearly an improvement compared to last time - which was 5 years ago - the wine is still powerfull - but more relaxed - you get clearly black fruit - black cherries, blackberries and some plum (did not get any black currant this time), also white pepper and some leather - medium + tannins and acidity - in the beginning tannins was a bit dominant - that however changes when we had more wine - a nice aftertaste - we still think the wine will improve - will keep my last bottles for maybe 5 years - happy to go to solid 92. (1709 views) | | | Tasted by GFischmann on 5/27/2020 & rated 92 points: Stil bright with good balance of red fruit and residual tannins and acidity. (1553 views) | | | Tasted by s******n on 2/1/2020 & rated 93 points: Frisch. Tolle Frucht. Wirklich toller Wein. Immer noch sehr starke Säure. Deshalb wohl ruhig noch ein paar Jahre liegen lassen. (1570 views) | | | Tasted by yves charbonnier on 9/8/2018 & rated 90 points: Nez poivré et animal. Sur la retenue. Bouche tout en finesse avec des tannins délicats. Délicieusement long mais encore trop musclé pour accompagner un bon repas. Il faut lui laisser encore un peu de temps pour s'assagir. (2955 views) | | | Tasted by Nels+ on 6/12/2018 & rated 84 points: Intense and well structured but very closed and hardly no primary aromas. Regarding the price, we would give this one a major-pass at the moment. (2211 views) | | | Tasted by Andre Brattland on 11/24/2017 & rated 92 points: Vinen er rik og konsentrert på nese med dypere rød frukt, lysere plommer, røde roser, og med noe noe mineralsk preg. Sånn skal Barbaresco dufte!
På paletten mangler den litt konsentrasjon, men vinen har et elegant preg. Kirsebær, bringebær og vinen har fortsatt et ganske tydelig fatpreg samt noen herlige lærtoner. Også et litt snev av grønt gress. Tipper denne trenger 8-10 år til, så synger denne voldsomt. (3040 views) | | | Tasted by Brolawa on 6/30/2016: Not rating this because the bottle was slightly affected. Drank in Ravello Italy and spent the first half of the bottle wondering if we should send it back. Wine was was jammy without a lot of other character. (662 views) | | | Tasted by rexmerlot on 2/6/2016 & rated 91 points: Wow what a great wine. So much going on on the nose and palate. No formal notes this time around. (5906 views) | | | Tasted by DK Amateur on 1/29/2016: Modern Italian classics (Copenhagen): Not very expressive and quite fiercely tannic. Too young or perhaps insufficiently aerated. Fine but kind of remote notes of dark fruit and tar but less polished than expected. Will surely be a fine food wine in time. (5670 views) | | | Tasted by BenBlu on 12/25/2015 & rated 92 points: Really good wine. Usually I am not often impressed by Italian wines, but this was really enjoyable. Maybe slightly short on the finish for my liking - and QPR is just not great, for the money I'd be looking for a really great Bordeaux which for me delivers more pleasure. (4625 views) | | | Tasted by ILarsen on 10/16/2015 & rated 91 points: The wine has improved - therefore the higher rating - this is still a very powerfull wine - but everything has soften down a bit - which gives the wine a much better balance. On the palette you get a lot of fruit black cherries - black currant - white pepper - the wine clearly demands food. (4697 views) | | | Tasted by yossarian.livez on 7/26/2015 & rated 90 points: L.A.W. Tasting: Brunello, Barolo, Super Tuscan, and Bordeaux (LA Hutchinson Cocktail and Grill): Started a bit acrid with wooden joints showing but evolved in the glass and set some aside as long as I could at the tasting. Black cherry, sandlewood, sage, white pepper with plus acid lead to a mineral finish. A slight sweetness to the tannin that makes it tolerable now esp with a meal. Has enough purity that I think with just a little more time this will be very good. (5314 views) | | | Tasted by rikipedia on 6/7/2015 & rated 91 points: Majeka House Tasting - Italy (Stellenbosch): Mid-garnet mahogany colour, the wine's bouquet is savoury with tar, chocolate, marmite and black olive that segue into a cherry and cranberry scent. |There is an umami here to this medium-bodied wine that exhibits intense flavours, crunchy acidity and firm, sinewy tannins with a dry, chalky-like texture. Reasonably elegant, with some oak influence and a touch of development, this leans more towards the Barbera, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Corvina styles rather than having the massive thick tannins of Sangiovese or the warmer, richer style of southern wines; it also lacks the lightness of Cortese. The wine has a noted bite, a new spicy oak influence, and a modern touch. Sappy with a sour cherry twist, liquorice and milk chocolate emerging. With a bitter-dry finish, the wine reflects that modern Barolo style with a softer yet dense structure assuaged by sour plum and cranberry fruit. Mid to long finish: this is of DOC quality. The tart cherry and spicy new oak complexity contribute to the weighty mid-palate, and there is good integration, with enough extract and depth of fruit for short-term cellaring. (240 views) | | | Tasted by DrZett on 5/15/2015 & rated 89 points: Don't see what the other notes are about. It was ok and drinking well, but the PVR is bad in my opinion. Maybe it will get better in the future. We opened it 3 hours before drinking and had Pasta with beef Bolognese with it. Right now just 88-89 points imo. (2521 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2011, IWC Issue #159
(Gaja Barbaresco) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, New Releases from Piedmont: The Stars Are Aligned (Oct 2011)
(Gaja Barbaresco) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (10/22/2013)
(Gaja Barbaresco) Medium dark cherry red color; focused, tart cherry, sandalwood, blackberry, berry nose; tasty, rich, tart berry, blackberry, black cherry palate with purity and sweet tannins; needs 6-7 years; long finish 93+ 93 points | By Alan Tardi
Sommelier Journal, July 15, 2012
(Gaja Barbaresco) Transparent brick red with a pink rim. Fresh, ripe aromas of cranberry and strawberry pie are followed by a hint of pink peppercorns. On the palate, notes of small wild berries, tree bark, and graphite are suggestive of a young Grenache or Cabernet Franc. The wine shows admirable reserve, with tart acidity, brambly tannins, and a clean, subtly mineral finish. Postmodern Barolo: The War That Never Was |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com and Sommelier Journal. (manage subscription channels) |
| Gaja Producer website
Located in the Tuscany and Piedmont regions of Italy, Gaja makes collectible Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay wines, including the Langhe Conteisa label. Gaja wines are among the highest-rated in all of Italy. It is perhaps best known for its Super Tuscans, which are some of the most elegant on the market. However, the estate also makes top-quality wines rooted in Italian tradition, such as Barbaresco. It is perhaps the most lauded Barbaresco producer today.
Although the estate produces 18 different wines, the production is low at just 350,000 bottles per year, making these wines very rare. The best Gaja vintages include 2018, 2016, and 2015 as well as historically well-performing vintages such as 2013, 2011, 2010, 2008, 2004, and 2003. Many of Gaja’s best vintages have received perfect scores from criticsGaja BarbarescoWine description
“Barbaresco” is doubtless the most prestigious wine produced by Gaja winery, famous worldwide for its excellence. Nebbiolo is the only variety used, pure 100%.
The 14 vineyards are located in the district of Barbaresco and have an elevation that swings between 250-330 meters above the sea level. The total surface covers 21,4 hectares, where the vines have a medium age that counts around forty years old.
The wine making is managed separately. After fermentation, maceration and 12 months aging in wood, all the different wines coming from the 14 vineyards are assembled together. The final product is then submitted to a further aging of 12 moths in wooden barrels. Year after year, harvest after harvest, Barbaresco DOCG produced by Angelo Gaja has become greater and greater. It is a surprising wine under all the points of view. It is produced with selected grapes coming from different vineyards, showing its great quality and its unique elegance.
Features of red wine “Barbaresco” from Piedmont
Intense garnet red colour. The perfume recalls red berries, with floral sensations of violet, hints of aromatic herbs, spices, white pepper, tobacco and anise. The taste is silky and rich at the same time, supported by energic tannins that let it age also ten years. Great persistence.
Notes from the producer:
The Gaja family settled in Piemonte in the mid-17th century. Five generations have been involved in winemaking since Giovanni Gaja, in 1859 founded his winery in Barbaresco, in the heart of the Langhe area.
The Gaja name represents a legacy of qualitative supremacy maintained by the family over five generation.
The Nebbiolo vine is particularly affected by the small differences in the various types of soil. The blend of the grapes coming from the 14 vineyards stresses the features of the different terroirs, thus creating a complex and balanced wine. The bouquet smells of soft fruits, flowers, delicate spices and mineral notes. The structure is dense but elegant. It has a lingering finish with refined tannins. Each Gaja Barbaresco is the faithful expression of the production year and is suitable for a long bottle ageinNebbioloNebbiolo is a red grape indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy in the Northwest. The grape can also be found in other parts of the world, though they are not as respected.
Nebbiolo is often considered the "king of red wines," as it is the grape of the famed wines of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG. It is known for high tannins and acidity, but with a distinct finesse. When grown on clay, Nebbiolo can be very powerful, tannic, and require long aging periods to reach its full potential. When grown on sand, the grape exhibits a more approachable body with more elegant fruit and less tannins, but still has high aging potential.
"Nebbiolo" is named for the Italian word, "nebbia", which means "fog", in Italian and rightfully so since there is generally a lot of fog in the foothills of Piedmont during harvest.
Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety that does best in a continental climate that boasts moderate summers and long autumns. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is normally harvested in October.
More links:
Varietal character (Appellation America) | Nebbiolo on CellarTrackerItaly Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorPiedmont Vignaioli Piemontesi (Italian only)
On weinlagen-infoLanghe Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero | Union of Producers of Albese Wines (Albeisa)Barbaresco Geographical details of the DOCG down to single vineyards. The vineyards belonging to the comune Barbaresco can be found here |
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