Decanter Gaja Masterclass - 30 Years of Legendary wine making presented by Gaia Gaja

Gaia Gaja is one of those amazing wine people that make wine such a great thing. Granted presenting Gaja wines is an easier task but still she is a impressive to listen to go through the family business as tasting the wines. A must to go to one of her tastings.
Being involved with many sides of the business which includes very much the wine making ( we wonder weather the shift to more elegant and restrained wines int he last decade is down to her ) but also to clonal selection and vineyard management allows her to expand in many dimensions of their business. Her explanations of their single vineyards and linking it to what we had in the glass was one of the best we have seen and would give the Burgundians a run for their money on any day.

Two Snippets that will stay with us from her presentation: 1. Her love of biodiversity in the vineyards 2. She likes human wines , wines that show the character and style of the winemaker too.

We do think she the great future for this great estate beyond just being a brand ambassador.

For people like us with memories a big and muscly Gaja wines the 2016s were a revelation. Softer wines, very elegant not pushed and full of charm. We did feel the Soris were a lot better than the Costa Rusi. Granted all of them young and with 5 years before hitting their stride these wine wills be high 90s for sure.

• 2016 Gaja Barbaresco

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Light in color, soft for the look to the nose to the palate albeit the palate has a few harsh edges at this stage. Perfumed, floral , strawberry, red acidic fruits as Gaia Gaja described them. Lots of berries on the palate, soft but with firm acidity and a touch of harshness. Pretty long finish. No real feel of oak, pure and elegant (much like all their 2016s ). A touch too young to rate and maybe could have used some more fruit at this stage. Hopefully time will soften that side.
  14 vineyards go into the blend, 2016 was a vintage of beautiful ripeness for GG.

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• 2016 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  The vineyard at the bottom of hill hence a costa not a sori. A bit darker than the other 2016s here, a bit less focused too if we can say in the relative sense of things. More barrel on the nose too than the others. Darker side to it vs the Soris, crunchier fruit, colder wine in a way, herby. More structured, intense , long finish here too. Still on the soft side and youthful elements of course. Solid wine but a class less than the Soris. We will not rate something this young hopefully we cross paths with it again in 5yrs

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• 2016 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  The amphitheater at the top of the hill named after Clotilde Rey ( Angelo Gaja's Grandmother). Our favorite if the lot. Light on the color much like all 2016s. Muted nose at start but developed nicely, softly much like all of the wine, floral, herbs de provence feel. DArker and rounder, fleshier fruit from the more exposure to the sun it gets. Rounder expression, more supple. darker at times but still very much a light and elegant wine light on it feet and full of charm. Too young to rate but a super solid wine.

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• 2016 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  70-80yr old vines, another Sori so top of the hill but this is closer to the river. Lighter on the nose and a bit of a hybrid at times between Sori Tildin and Costa Russi. More citrussy than the rest, lighter on the palate though, bit more spirited, youthful and granted 5yrs from hitting its full stride still full of elegance and charm. Too young to rate for us but still a super solid wine.

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• 2001 Ca' Marcanda (Gaja) Bolgheri Camarcanda 89 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri

  Dark in color and from a time when Merlot made 40% of the blend ( Along with 40% Cab Sauv and rest made of Cab Franc). A touch over done and lacked charm and elegance, sweeter, riper, jucier. Just a felt a bit lacking in class frankly. 89 and drink sooner than later

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• 2001 Gaja Langhe Darmagi 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  This was a really nice surprise and was very pretty on the day. Darker fruits, less of a herbaceous side, light leather, closer to a classic cab sauv feel than the Camarcanda (Papies 89). Spice, floral side, violets. Vibrant and energetic on palate, well restrained and felt like this can age a lot. Very solid now though too. 92-93
  Vineyards planted in 1978, 95% CabSauv, 3% Merlot, 2% Cab Franc. Planted at a time when French varieties were in fashion which is now reversed. Gaia Gaja said she hopes the removal of the Cab Sauv from Langhe will continue and thus this will be the last of its type in the area.

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A real treat and horo to try these old wines albeit barrign the 1988 we were dissapointed. And we ar epeople who like old and well aged wines. These wines especially the 90s are now for us paying the price of Angelo Gaja's "modernities" of the 90s

• 1990 Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi 89 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Shows quite a bit of color and definitely darker than the 2016s. Sweet nose, felts old and on the balance of been too far. Sweet spices and a difficult wine to enjoy. If this was not served at a Gaja mastercalss we would argue maybe a gone bottle. This wine much like a lot of the 1990s Gajas we have crossed paths suffers from being pushed in its youth , the modern side Langhe pays the price now for an exuberant youth. Gladly the wines of now are more pure and full of elegance. 88-89

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• 1990 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Coming from a 2009 memory of a wine rated 97 for us and friends this was a bit of a let down frankly albeit a lot better then the Costa Russi 1990 ( Papies 88-89).
  Definitely shows color and mych like the CR 1990 they have more color than the 2016s. Less pushed than the CR, more balanced and elegant with a nice floral side. Very healthy and the modernity of Gaja in the 90s did not seem to have blocked this wine from aging well. A solid 92-93 but questionable of the value.

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• 1988 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 94 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  Impressively dark in color for the age and definitely a lot better and elegant than the 1990s we had before. Very solid wine, well aged, earthy but still with healthy and very much alive fruit. Impressive actually for the age and a superb wine. No need to go further here. 94-95

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• 1982 Gaja Barbaresco 80 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  If this was not served at a Gaja masterclass we would have argued that its a poor bottle. A difficult to enjoy wine, with a bad nose, dry on the palate and really a poor show. 80 at best.

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Much like Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia and Maria Theresa Mascarello , Gaia Gaja is a tour de force of a wine person. She said she liked when a client of hers said Barbaresco is like beign kicked in the face by a ballerina, well for us she is a ballerina of wine who can deliver a solid kick.
The masterclass was really worth it just for her.