Barbaresco, Gaja 2018

Aromas of ripe strawberries with hazelnuts, blood oranges and some coconut. Full-bodied with very refined and polished tannins that nicely form this young red wine. Fresh and delicious aftertaste of berry, cedar, bark and dark chocolate. Ever so subtle, yet powerful and driven at the finish. Very long and intense. Very classical style to it and cooler. This is a blend of seven vineyards including the Costa Russi and Sori Tilden. Approachable now, but better after 2025 and onwards.

The hallmark of the Gaja estate, the Barbaresco is sourced from 14 vineyards within Barbaresco and Treiso. For the 2018 vintage, there will be no single cru bottlings for Barbaresco, and all of the fruit has gone into the estate bottling. The 2018 Barbaresco is pure and inviting, with perfumed notes of rose petal, ripe raspberry, and clove. Medium-bodied and approachable, with super fine-grained tannins, it offers fresh strawberry, orange pith, and dusty earth. The undeniable elegance of this 2018 is joyful now, though it will be great to revisit over the next 15 years. Drink 2022-2036.

There will be no cru wines in 2018 from Gaja, so the Barbaresco gains these special plots this year. Bright ruby in colour, the nose displays the full array of Nebbiolo's complex character - cherry blossom, orange peel, tobacco and nutmeg leap from the glass in an aroma that is both sweet in fruit and savoury in depth. The palate is silky on entry, the generous, floral-toned fruit core generous in ripeness yet weightless and ethereal. Firm, fine tannins provide the trademark backbone, but they are highly refined here and allow the fruit to shine. Though there is a sheen of fruit throughout, the subtle, savoury tones build spice and earthy through the mid-palate. The finish is finely poised between fruit and earth, just as with the nose. Harmonious.

The Gaja 2018 Barbaresco is a wine of grace and purpose, with an elegant bouquet and a more powerful palate presence. These recent releases from the venerated house of Gaja are some of the most transparent and honest expressions to be found anywhere in the Langa. Some of the flashiness we saw in the past is today replaced by subtle Nebbiolo nuances and finesse, with crushed flowers, coriander, wild berry, smoke, tar and candied orange peel. This shift in character runs parallel to the slow and careful management transition from an older generation to a younger one. This 2018 vintage comes alive in the mouth, thanks to its balanced acidity and the absolutely bright and pristine quality of fruit delivered with such care.