Wine Advisor
Gaja, Barbaresco 2008
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Intense aromas of plums and dark fruits. Pure fruit here. Full body, with velvety tannins and hints of new wood. This is structured and chewy but shows loads of fruit underneath. This shows wonderful potential. Try in 2013.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Ripe and rich nose of dried strawberries and slice plums. Very sweet fruit on the nose. Hot growing season comes through. Full-bodied, with chewy and rich tannins and a cocoa, ripe berry and round tannin finish. Drinking well now but will age for a long time.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2008 Barbaresco emerges from the glass with sweet red cherries, spices, flowers and licorice. This is an attractive Barbaresco with excellent depth and a firm, tannic spine that is very nicely integrated with the fruit. The 2008 isn’t a blockbuster, but it should drink well with minimum cellaring. This is a classic, linear Barbaresco endowed with terrific energy and focus. Right now the 2008 seems to be holding its cards close to the vest. I would not be surprised to see it show even better in a few years’ time. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2028. This is a stunning set of wines from Angelo Gaja and his team in Barbaresco. Those who think 2008 is a truly great year for Nebbiolo must have tasted these wines. In a vintage that is inconsistent across the villages of Barbaresco, Gaja has produced not one but four stellar wines. As fabulous as these wines are, they aren’t especially true to type, as I explain in these notes. The 2008s I tasted in the US showed far better than the bottles I tasted in Barbaresco during the summer. Perhaps the onset of the cool fall weather gave these wines a little more spine than they had during the sweltering heat of August. Readers who want to learn more about the 2011 harvest at Gaja may want to take a look at my video interview with Gaia Gaja and vineyard manager Giorgio Culasso. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604 8900
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2008 Barbaresco emerges from the glass with sweet red cherries, spices, flowers and licorice. This is an attractive Barbaresco with excellent depth and a firm, tannic spine that is very nicely integrated with the fruit. The 2008 isn't a blockbuster, but it should drink well with minimum cellaring. This is a classic, linear Barbaresco endowed with terrific energy and focus. Right now the 2008 seems to be holding its cards close to the vest. I would ne be surprised to see it show even better in a few years' time.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Medium red with a hint of amber at the edge. Soil-driven aromas of red fruits, mocha, smoke, underbrush and dried rose. Sweet, plush, seamless and elegant; distinctly suaver than the 2009, with the dried flower element lifting the mid-palate. Lovely nuanced wine, finishing long and serious, with broad, ripe, building tannins and very good grip.
About the Producer
Located in the Barbaresco region of Piedmont, Italy, Gaja was founded in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja and is still owned by the Gaja family. For generations, the Gaja family has worked tirelessly to achieve the five-star rating in the 2013 Vini d'Italia. In 1961, Angelo Gaja, Giovanni's son, gradually took over the winery's affairs from his father. Angelo studied winemaking at university and obtained a doctorate in economics. Since taking charge of the estate, Angelo has travelled extensively to France (particularly the great Burgundy estates) and has been inspired to make bold changes to the estate. Not only did he emphasise Green Harvest and yield control in the management of the vineyards to achieve high quality wines, but he also pioneered the introduction of Bordeaux grape varieties and advanced winemaking equipment such as temperature-controlled fermenters and French oak barrels, as well as the creative introduction of single-vineyard wines, and is therefore considered to be a pioneer of the modern Italian style of wine, and has made an indelible contribution to the international reputation of Piedmont and indeed Italy. He is also regarded as a pioneer of modern Italian wines and has made an indelible contribution to the international reputation of Piedmont and Italy. The winery has a number of vineyards, including three of the better known single vineyards in Barbaresco - Sori San Lorenzo, Sori Tildin and Costa Russi - where the most popular Piedmontese grape variety, Nebbiolo, is grown. Nebbiolo, the most popular red grape variety in Piedmont. Sori San Lorenzo is a vineyard bought from the parish of Alba and named after the patron saint of the Alba Cathedral, while Russi is the nickname of the former owner. The vineyards were expanded and in 1988 the winery acquired Marenca & Rivette in the Barolo appellation and began producing Barolo wines; in 1994 it acquired Pieve Santa Restituta in the Montalcino appellation of Tuscany; and in 1996 it acquired the Pieve Santa Restituta in the Tuscany appellation. In 2000, Angelo Gaja broke with tradition by blending a small portion of Barbera with Nebbiolo to make Barbaresco, a controversial move at the time. 2016 On 1 July, Gaia Gaja, the eldest daughter of Angelo, announced to the public that the three single vineyards of the Gaja estate - Surrey San Lorenzo, Surrey Tintin and Ross Coast - would be used as specific appellations for the Gaja Barbaresco wines, which must The Barbaresco wines will be made from 100% Nebbiolo. This initiative ushers in a new era for Château Gaja. The wines produced by Château Gaja are of different styles and of outstanding quality. The Gaja Barbaresco DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) is the best of the Barbaresco wines and has developed into one of Italy's famous "Four Jasons". In addition, Gaja has produced three single-vineyard Barbaresco wines using grapes from the Surrey San Lorenzo, Surrey Tintin and Costa Rossa vineyards, which have also received high marks from many renowned wine critics. The Gaja Sori San Lorenzo Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmont, Italy, the first single-vineyard wine to be released, is the most powerful of the estate's single-vineyard wines, receiving full marks for the 2013 vintage from James Suckling. The 2013 vintage received a perfect score from James Suckling.
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