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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.2 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 8 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by derekastoria on 10/24/2018: Medium ruby with slight brick signs. Wonderful nose that smoothly run out when poured and in glass. Gentle palate with tannin quite well blended into the wines. Need more time in breathing to show. Lovely Barbaresco indeed. Not as impressive as last bottle - I should have allowed more time in preparation. 16.5/20 (1200 views) | | | Tasted by derekastoria on 11/8/2016: Opened and double decanted 2 hours before drinking. Lovely, very attractive red fruits aroma even when I decanted it. Some secondary development but not too much. Tannin quite smooth on the palate, ready to drink. Long aftertaste and keeps lingering in the mouth. The sweet influence from the oak was there at first but soon dispersed.
One of the best Nebbiolo I have tasted from the 80s so far... Wine did not improve further after opening, think no harm to drink from now. 17.5/20 (1632 views) | | | Tasted by peternelson on 8/21/2014 & rated 92 points: Blind w/Geoff Labizke: Med. pale garnet with orange rim, bricking, faded; stewed fruits and dry plum-cherry, cranberry; orange rind, leather, light VA, light brett, band aid present with forest floor, shrooms, coffee; some impressions of vanilla oak barely noticable; not much sediment on old Barolos/Barbarescos b/c it often drops out early before bottling. Moderate plus acid, body, alc., nicely balanced, but still with high, fine chalky tannins. Very nice older Barbaresco clearly with significant age on it. Doing well, but I would have liked it 5 years ago. Guessed older Barolo. (2408 views) | | | Tasted by cortoncharlie on 7/16/2008 & rated 89 points: Needed a good 1.5-2 hour of air before opening up. Good underlying characteristic of rose flowers, tea and leather. Very long. Still somewhat tight but a wine of good breeding that could probably improve with more bottle age. (3557 views) |
| 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 criticsNebbioloNebbiolo 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 CellarTrackerCosta RussiThrough the 1995 vintage, the Gaja single cru Costa Russi was labeled as Barbaresco. However, starting with 1996 Gaja formally chose to eschew the DOCG requirements for Barbaresco (for example, by blending Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon into the wines when only Nebbiolo is allowed in Barbaresco DOCG) in favor of the more humble Langhe DOC appellation. What this means is that these wines are defined two ways with 1995 and older as Barbaresco and 1996 and newer as Langhe DOC.Italy 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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