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Wines by Gaja |
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Available Gaja Selections
Gaja
While rooted in the tradition of the Langhe, Angelo Gaja has enriched
this foundation with an openminded sensibility that marries traditional
practices and technological innovation, thereby extending Piemonte’s
international reach. His philosophy recognizes the Nebbiolo grape’s
inherent capacity for creative expression, which enables it to accommodate
the market’s desire for both oak-driven and tannic styles. (That
said, however, it is important to note that his wines are never obfuscated
by over-extraction or oak.) Though he has his detractors, their opposition
has proved innocuous, as Gaja’s wines rival the world’s
most acclaimed and sought-after bottlings. While regarded as expensive
on release, they continue to appreciate, trading at premium prices
and invariably elevating the price standard in Piemonte.
The Gaja estate’s qualitative supremacy and cachet are not
solely attributable to Angelo. In fact, his father’s 1961 Barbaresco
may be the most profound bottling of its designation ever to be produced.
The Gaja name represents a legacy of quality that has evolved since
the family emigrated from Spain over 300 years ago. Angelo maintained
his family’s high standards of production while inaugurating
a new stylistic direction—more often than not through measures
that incited controversy. Foremost among these was his inaugural use
of barrique in the vinification of his 1975 Barbaresco cuvée.
Gaja is widely credited with having instituted this practice, the
objective of which is to soften the formidable tannins of the Nebbiolo
grape, thereby producing a wine that is richer and more concentrated
in its fruit expression than traditional models. Other early efforts
included the reduction of crop size, shortened pruning of Nebbiolo
vines, and decreased fermentation periods.
The 1967 debut release of Sorì San Lorenzo began his pioneering
work with the vinification of single-vineyard wines. This was succeeded
by two additional crus, Sorì Tildin (1970) and Costa Russi
(1978), both of which derive from the Roncagliette Vineyard. Each
member of this legendary trio is both recognized for achieving a substantive
period of maturation and avidly sought on the collector’s market,
where all invariably enjoy a substantive degree of appreciation. Gaja
didn’t stop there, however, going on to defy Piemonte’s
varietal protocol by relaunching Cabernet Sauvignon’s presence
in the region after nearly a century-long absence, a revolutionary
act captured in the vineyard’s name, Darmagi— meaning“what
a pity”—the expression his father would utter when he
passed by the spot, formerly a Nebbiolo site. He continued to elicit
unrest and disapprobation through his dedicated planting of Chardonnay
in the Gaia & Rey Vineyard (1981), the source of his now famous
eponymous bottling. This was followed shortly thereafter by a vineyard
for Sauvignon Blanc—Alteni di Brassica.
As controversial as these acts may have been
on an insular level, they ultimately constituted the fountainhead
of Piemonte’s emergence on the world scene. Gaja didn’t
merely implement modern approaches, he actively sought to draw attention
to the Piemonte he was refashioning through savvy marketing techniques.
In so doing, he fashioned an attractive, worldly identity for Piemonte
in general and Barbaresco in particular, the latter of which had no
identity to speak of in the late 1960s. Through it all, Gaja has steadfastly
maintained a passionate commitment to fashioning a traditional Barbaresco
cuvée—a profound homage to both his grandfather and father—that
remains a defining expression in the genre.
He also possesses property in the La Morra and Serralunga areas of Barolo, the sources, respectively, of his Conteisa and Sperss Nebbiolo Langhe bottlings.
Having raised the consciousness of leading wine regions to Piemonte’s
world-class stature, Gaja stepped outside this domain with the purchase
of Pieve Santa Restituta in Montalcino (1994) and Ca’Marcanda—his
Super-Tuscan property—in Bolgheri (1996). Both estates are now
leaders in their respective categories.
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Clerico,
Aldo Conterno,
G.B. Burlotto,
Giacomo Conterno,
Conterno Fantino,
Cavallotto,
Alessandro & Gian Natale Fantino,
Gaja,
Giacosa,
Bruna Grimaldi,
La Spinetta,
Marchesi di Barolo,
Bartolo Mascarello,
Massolino,
Mauro Sebaste,
Parusso,
Pio Cesare,
Prunotto,
Giuseppe Rinaldi,
Roagna,
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Sandrone,
Scavino,
Vietti,
Virna di Borgogno,
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