Gaja Barbaresco 2016

“Gaja’s 2016 Barbaresco is positively stellar. A wine of poise and grace, the 2016 has so much to offer. Expressive spice and floral notes open up first, but what really stands out is the wine’s nuance and delineation. There is a sense of translucency to the 2016 that is impossible to miss. Sweet red cherry, mint, cinnamon and rose petal develop in the glass, adding further shades of nuance. Quite simply, the 2016 is one of the very finest Gaja Barbarescos in recent memory. This is such a gorgeous wine. Don’t miss it. Drinking window: 2026-2041. 96 points

I have had many remarkable tastings at Gaja over the years. I remember revisiting all the 1989s and 1990s for a retrospective some years ago. When I entered the tasting room I was completely overwhelmed by a whole range of exotic, almost intoxicating, Nebbiolo aromas that completely filled the room. My most recent visit didn’t quite equal that high, but it came very close. The Gaja family’s 2016 Barbarescos are simply extraordinary. Sorì Tildìn is, arguably, the most profound of the wines, but all four 2016s are mind blowingly beautiful, vivid wines that will leave readers weak at the knees. The 2015 Barolos and 2013 Darmagi round out this stunning set of new releases.”

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (11/19)