97 points “Glorious aromas of flowers crushed berries strawberries and dried herbs. Some tea. Full-bodied and layered with a wonderfully curated polished tannin structure and backbone. Give it three or four years to soften.” – James Suckling
This half bottle has now had those years to soften and it has become a thing of beauty. In recent years Gaja has pared back the contributing vineyards to give this wine more focus. The result is that this 100% Nebbiolo is elegant streamlined and pulsing with energy and vitality. Expect red cherry wild strawberry blackberry star anise rose petals lavender tobacco toasted walnuts liquorice crushed rocks leather barbequed rosemary and a pinch of white pepper. This is a great one to have in the cellar for truffle season or Christmas dinner. However it also goes wonderfully with game birds porcini risotto wild mushroom pasta and earthy roasted root vegetables – think parsnip puree Jerusalem artichokes maple-roasted carrots etc.
Although this family estate was established in the 1850s it wasn’t until Angelo Gaja took over in 1970 that Gaja was pushed through into the vanguard of Italian wine. Although the Super Tuscans hog much of spotlight this man is often described as having single-handedly dragged Italian wine into the modern age. Not content with introducing revolutionary modern techniques and non-indigenous grape varieties to his Piedmont vineyards propelling them into the position of benchmark for the region he has also branched out to Tuscany with dramatic effect. A rebel a perfectionist and an incredible winemaker when it comes to the great man we think Robert Parker puts it best: “A genius for sure Angelo Gaja cannot be faulted for what he puts in the bottle.”
SKU No.: 3339327
Style No.: 846426
Region: Piedmont
Grapes: Nebbiolo
Closure: Cork
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 14%
Volume: 375ml
Allergens: Sulphites