Cabernet Sauvignon Gaia, Grosset Wines 2022

Today, I am tasting the 2021 and 2022 Gaia side by side, and what a pair of wines they make. The two vintages were not dissimilar, in that they were mild and long, and both are excellent; so, it is a privilege to see the results of those seasons here together. Aromatically, the 2022 Gaia is not as giving as the 2021, yet it is in possession of its own register of attributes: graphite and black tea, blackberry, dried mint, gravel and iodine, oyster shell, bitter chocolate and cocoa and tapenade. In the mouth, the wine has that seamless flow of the 2021, albeit with a firmer tannin profile. These are wines of effortless movement and shape, and the tannins in this vintage are almost certainly the highlight; they are pliable, ductile and ultra fine. A superb wine. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink: 2024 - 2052.

Very deep and very bright young red-purple colour, that stains the glass. There are fresh, youthful, almost raw aromas of raspeberry, cassis, blackberry and briar, beautifully ripened, the palate very concentrated, dense and full-bodied but not over- the-top. It's powerful, concentrated and backed by a welter of firm tannins, but doesn't sacrifice its elegance. This is a tightly packed, dense and focused cabernet that deserves a decent term in the cellar. It's just a baby today.