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L'Evento Angelo Gaja
Parco dei Principi, Rome
Tasted March 20, 2008 by Barbara B with 494 views
Introduction
This was a tasting of six wine -- two made by Angelo Gaja, and four represented in Italy by him. He spoke for the first 1.5 hr paying tribute to some of the great men of vines and wine who influenced him: Beppe Fenoglio, Cesare Pavese, Luigi Veronelli, Renato Ratti, Giacomo Bologna, Romano Levi, Bruno Giacosa, Giovanni Gaja. Then the wines were served.
Flight 1 (6 notes)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Gosset Champagne Célebris
89 points
Medium gold; fine bubbles. Nose and palate of honey, ripe apricots, citrus, autolysed yeast, some oxidation. Low sugar, high acidity, big minerality. Okay.
White
2006 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane
Medium gold. Intense nose of oak, vanilla, toastiness, unripe fruit and minerals. On palate, big mouthful of new oak, lowish acidity, some oak tannins, alcohol seems high. Big, round wine that is not particularly long or complex -- but the oak gets in the way. Can't imagine that this will ever properly resolve. No rating.
Red
2004 Gaja Barbaresco
89 points
Ruby, clear, matte. Nose of cherries, violets, tarriness, and a little mint with time in the glass. Palate of fruit, earth and big minerality. Very acidic, very astringently tannic. Moderate length and complexity. Decades too young to drink. Difficult to imagine the greatness of this wine, especially when tasted side-by-side with the 2004 Sori San Lorenzo.
Red
2004 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sorì San Lorenzo
96 points
Ruby-ish, clear. More intense than the Barbaresco, with bigger fruit, earth, minerals and flowers. Same on the palate, along with some sweet spices, extremely savoury/umami. Tannins are high, but nicely textured and very ripe; high acidity, highish alcohol (label=14%). Richly concentrated, yet elegant. Long, complex and had a beautiful evolution over an hour in the glass. Gaja called this the Marcello Mastroianni (compared to the Insignia as John Wayne). I do love Marcello. WOTN.
Red
2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia
Purple/black, dense, opaque. On nose, giant fruit -- ripe, extracted, candied, syrupy-sweetness; vanilla liqueur, cotton candy; very intense. On palate, super-concentration of ripe plums and berries, low acidity, moderate level of ripe/smooth tannins, high alcohol. Soft, round, rich, fat, long and complex. Two years in new French oak, according to Gaja, yet it was so subtle in its oakiness; its only subtlety. Gaja called this the John Wayne of wines. No rating; I never got John Wayne.
Red
1996 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único
95 points
Ruby/black, opaque. Big foreground of earthiness, roasted meat, cola, soy sauce; fruit there but in the background. Huge minerality and rich, umami savouriness; sweet and salty sensation, like 30 year old balsamic vinegar; high alcohol, just-right tannins and acidity. Full bodied, with extreme length and complexity. Second favourite of the night.
Closing
He also spoke of the difference between "opulenza" and "eleganza", using John Wayne and Marcello Mastroianni, respectively, as the illustrations. Gaja was in great form.