Retail Team | November 14, 2023
Gaja is a name etched into the foundation of modern Piedmont. The estate’s longtime, visionary leader, Angelo Gaja, helped ennoble Barbaresco as one of the world’s great wines and teased sleek sophistication from the Nebbiolo grape by trimming yields and introducing French oak barriques.
Though Angelo’s influence in the Langhe continues to loom large, he is no longer the face of Gaja. His children Gaia, Giovanni and Rossana have taken up the reins, becoming the fifth generation to run the estate since it was founded in 1859. Today, Sotheby’s Wine is pleased to offer a limited-time discount on three cuvées that highlight the seamless generational shift taking place – a lesson in the continuity and refinement of a timeless Italian icon.
New sustainable farming techniques have imbued recent Gaja releases like these with riveting freshness, energy, and elegance. Subtle nuances of French oak are still perceptible, but the emphasis is very much on precision and finesse.
The trio includes two classic Gaja Barbarescos from the warm 2015 vintage. The Costa Russi is farmed from a small plot of 65-year-old vines. Inviting and open, showing a firm underpinning as well as the plush roundness of the year, it’s a sensational statement bottle. The Sorì San Lorenzo – a legendary cuvée, the first single-vineyard wine Gaja ever released – is a paragon of balance, with the acidity and power to go the distance in the cellar.
Lastly, Gaja’s reach beyond Piedmont has been well-established with bottlings like the Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino. This outstanding release has polished richness, savory depth, and a balance of acidity and fruit with enveloping tannins.
