2019 Gaia & Rey

These new releases from the Gaja family are impressive. Generational succession is the single greatest threat to the long-term survival of family-owned wineries in Italy. Although there have naturally been some bumps in the road, the Gajas have navigated this tricky phase exceptionally well. That takes an older generation that can let go and a younger generation that is capable of taking over, neither of which is by any means a foregone conclusion. Today’s wines are increasingly marked by grace and understatement, along with the strong expression of site that has always been a calling card for the vineyard designate Barbarescos and Barolos.

The 2021 Barbarescos lead the way this year. Sorì Tildin and Sorì San Lorenzo are especially fine. It was not an easy vintage. Frost and cold weather during flowering lowered yields in some spots. Even so, the wines are pretty special. These days, the Barbarescos and Barolos see 45-60 days on the skins. Aging takes place first in French oak barrels and then cask. There’s a bit more French oak influence in Sperrs, much less so in the other wines.

This is a superb set of wines from the Gaja family. The 2021 whites are notable for their vibrancy. Moving further into the tasting, the 2020 Barbarescos are gorgeous, vibrant wines that impress with their delineation. The 2020s need time in the glass to emerge, but the signatures of each wine are very much present. The same is true for the 2019 Barolos. These days, the Gaja wines are defined by greater energy than in the past, but they remain quintessentially Gaia in breeding.

The whites have long been the best-kept secret at Gaja. Over the years, I have found these wines to age beautifully. More recently, Gaja has shifted to a style that gives a bit more importance to freshness and energy.

Sisters Gaia and Rossana Gaja are playing increasingly important roles at their family's wineries in Piedmont and in Tuscany. My sense is that the wines are starting to become a little less intense and more lifted now that the Gaja sisters are more involved. It is too soon to know for sure if the 2010s reflect the vintage or a real move towards a slightly more refined approach, but there is no question the wines are a bit different than in previous years. That was quite evident when I tasted the 1978 Barbaresco recently. That was an exuberant, powerful wine made by a young man trying to carve a place out for himself among the world's elite. Although today's challenges are quite different, Gaia and Rossana Gaja have all the determination of their father, Angelo, and the steely resolve of their mother, Lucia Gaja, who has operated out of the spotlight for decades, but whose importance can't possibly be understated. I won't be surprised if Gaja wines become a bit more classic in the coming years.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Angelo Gaja continues to fine-tune his viticulture and vinification with his two daughters and son.He actually mentioned the word "retirement" during my visit but it's hard to imagine this dynamo slowing down, much less standing aside for the next generation.Indeed, on my recent tour of the Langhe, two much younger winemakers at other estates mentioned not being able to keep up with Gaja on one of his vineyard walks.In 2008 Gaja got rid of his huge old casks and replaced them with big new casks, although he made it clear that he broke in the new barrels in '08 and '09 by using them "for the bad part of the wines."But with vintage 2010, he began using these barrels for his best wines and also introduced some tonneaux.With the 2011 vintage and especially 2012 Gaja is working more reductively and has cut the number of rackings for his big nebbiolo wines from four to two.He also plans to work entirely by gravity in 2013.Gaja is also moving steadily in the direction of biodynamic farming, although he does not believe that these techniques are a magic bullet."Bio is like a good windshield wiper," he told me."It can't keep the rain from falling but it helps you make your way."He describes 2011 and 2010 as having similar acidity (acid levels were higher here in years like 2006 ad 2001).Both years, he went on, produced wines with more acidity than tannins, while in 2009 it was the other way around.In fact, some 2009s can have underripe tannins, he noted.Gaja describes his big 2010 nebbiolo wines as "precise, but not opulent or austere," a description that could equally well apply to red Burgundies from the same growing season.

Sisters Gaia and Rossana Gaja are playing increasingly important roles at their family's wineries in Piedmont and in Tuscany. My sense is that the wines are starting to become a little less intense and more lifted now that the Gaja sisters are more involved. It is too soon to know for sure if the 2010s reflect the vintage or a real move towards a slightly more refined approach, but there is no question the wines are a bit different than in previous years. That was quite evident when I tasted the 1978 Barbaresco recently. That was an exuberant, powerful wine made by a young man trying to carve a place out for himself among the world's elite. Although today's challenges are quite different, Gaia and Rossana Gaja have all the determination of their father, Angelo, and the steely resolve of their mother, Lucia Gaja, who has operated out of the spotlight for decades, but whose importance can't possibly be understated. I won't be surprised if Gaja wines become a bit more classic in the coming years.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Angelo Gaja continues to fine-tune his viticulture and vinification with his two daughters and son.He actually mentioned the word "retirement" during my visit but it's hard to imagine this dynamo slowing down, much less standing aside for the next generation.Indeed, on my recent tour of the Langhe, two much younger winemakers at other estates mentioned not being able to keep up with Gaja on one of his vineyard walks.In 2008 Gaja got rid of his huge old casks and replaced them with big new casks, although he made it clear that he broke in the new barrels in '08 and '09 by using them "for the bad part of the wines."But with vintage 2010, he began using these barrels for his best wines and also introduced some tonneaux.With the 2011 vintage and especially 2012 Gaja is working more reductively and has cut the number of rackings for his big nebbiolo wines from four to two.He also plans to work entirely by gravity in 2013.Gaja is also moving steadily in the direction of biodynamic farming, although he does not believe that these techniques are a magic bullet."Bio is like a good windshield wiper," he told me."It can't keep the rain from falling but it helps you make your way."He describes 2011 and 2010 as having similar acidity (acid levels were higher here in years like 2006 ad 2001).Both years, he went on, produced wines with more acidity than tannins, while in 2009 it was the other way around.In fact, some 2009s can have underripe tannins, he noted.Gaja describes his big 2010 nebbiolo wines as "precise, but not opulent or austere," a description that could equally well apply to red Burgundies from the same growing season.

Gaja. Everything changes and nothing changes. Angelo and Lucia Gaja seem well on their way to achieving something that is very rare among Piedmont's top estates, all of which remain family owned. Dealing successfully with generational succession. Gaia Gaja and her sister Rossana are now ever present, while their young brother, Giovanni, is off to college and seems destined for an important role himself. And the wines? They remain reference points for quality and consistency. The 2009 reds don't quite have the thrill that I often find in cooler, more vibrant years like 2008 and 2010, but in exchange they should offer years of pure pleasure pretty much right out of the gate.

Angelo Gaja is well aware of the conflicting currents that are making production of rich, high-alcohol wines increasingly tricky. "Global warming started to show its effect in 1996," he told me. "We had very big wines in earlier vintages like 1971, 1961 and 1947, but now those kinds of vintages are much more common. The question we haven't been able to answer yet is: will more intensity of heat and light have an influence on the longevity of our wines? And of course, the more consumers insist on lower alcohol levels in their wines, the more the wines will have to be manipulated. Let us do our jobs as growers and winemakers." In recent years, like a number of his colleagues in the Langhe hills, Gaja has been green harvesting in a series of passes through the vines so as not to overdo this step in warm years when the fruit would be very likely to reach sufficient ripeness without cutting crop levels in mid-summer. Gaja is slow to pass judgment on new vintages and he's still assessing 2009, which he describes as "not a big vintage like 2007. Maybe it's more like 2008, which is a very interesting year, elegant and balanced but with less body than 2007." Two thousand eleven, he added, has been difficult for the dolcetto and barbera as there was a lot of drying of the grapes in the late-summer heat.

Getting to the top in any field is hard. Staying at the top is even harder. For all of the praise Angelo Gaja and his family have received over the years, they have earned and deserve every bit of it. These new releases, the 2008 reds from Barolo in particular, are insanely beautiful.

Angelo Gaja is well aware of the conflicting currents that are making production of rich, high-alcohol wines increasingly tricky. "Global warming started to show its effect in 1996," he told me. "We had very big wines in earlier vintages like 1971, 1961 and 1947, but now those kinds of vintages are much more common. The question we haven't been able to answer yet is: will more intensity of heat and light have an influence on the longevity of our wines? And of course, the more consumers insist on lower alcohol levels in their wines, the more the wines will have to be manipulated. Let us do our jobs as growers and winemakers." In recent years, like a number of his colleagues in the Langhe hills, Gaja has been green harvesting in a series of passes through the vines so as not to overdo this step in warm years when the fruit would be very likely to reach sufficient ripeness without cutting crop levels in mid-summer. Gaja is slow to pass judgment on new vintages and he's still assessing 2009, which he describes as "not a big vintage like 2007. Maybe it's more like 2008, which is a very interesting year, elegant and balanced but with less body than 2007." Two thousand eleven, he added, has been difficult for the dolcetto and barbera as there was a lot of drying of the grapes in the late-summer heat.

x000D According to Gaja, global warming has been beneficial for the wines of Barbaresco. "Before 1996 there was a big gap in quality between Barolo and Barbaresco," he told me. "Barolo was routinely a degree higher in alcohol-say 12.5% vs. 11.5%, or 13% vs. 12%. But today Barbaresco is commonly 13.5%, or even higher. In fact, now consumers are asking for wines with lower alcohol. But it's wrong to blame the grower for this; it's the climate." Interestingly, Gaja does not find a significant difference between the 2007 and 2006 vintages for his big nebbiolo wines, although he described the 2006s as "more Piemontese." The 2007 single-vineyard wines will be at their best 8 to 15 years after the vintage, says Gaja. "I'm not a great fan of very old wines, even Burgundy or Bordeaux," he told me. "I find Burgundy between 8 and 12 years old and Bordeaux between 9 and 15 to be at their most expressive stage for matching with food." Gaja notes that 2005 was much better for Barbaresco than for Barolo, as much of the harvest in Barbaresco was finished before the last damaging rains in early October, including all of his own nebbiolo from Barbaresco. Gaja continues to include about 5% barbera in his cru bottlings from Barbaresco, and a bit more in his Sperss (6%) and Conteisa (8%).

x000D According to Gaja, global warming has been beneficial for the wines of Barbaresco. "Before 1996 there was a big gap in quality between Barolo and Barbaresco," he told me. "Barolo was routinely a degree higher in alcohol-say 12.5% vs. 11.5%, or 13% vs. 12%. But today Barbaresco is commonly 13.5%, or even higher. In fact, now consumers are asking for wines with lower alcohol. But it's wrong to blame the grower for this; it's the climate." Interestingly, Gaja does not find a significant difference between the 2007 and 2006 vintages for his big nebbiolo wines, although he described the 2006s as "more Piemontese." The 2007 single-vineyard wines will be at their best 8 to 15 years after the vintage, says Gaja. "I'm not a great fan of very old wines, even Burgundy or Bordeaux," he told me. "I find Burgundy between 8 and 12 years old and Bordeaux between 9 and 15 to be at their most expressive stage for matching with food." Gaja notes that 2005 was much better for Barbaresco than for Barolo, as much of the harvest in Barbaresco was finished before the last damaging rains in early October, including all of his own nebbiolo from Barbaresco. Gaja continues to include about 5% barbera in his cru bottlings from Barbaresco, and a bit more in his Sperss (6%) and Conteisa (8%).

I was blown away by Angelo Gaja's 2005 wines from Barbaresco. When all is said and done, Gaja may have well produced not the wine, but rather the wines of the vintage in a year that was excellent but not profound. While Gaja's 2005 don't have the explosive, multi-dimensional personalities of his 2004s, they are vibrant offerings that will thrill readers who Piedmont wines. As always, Gaja blends in a small percentage of Barbera in his single-vineyard wines, but that is hardly noticeable in this vintage. I also noted less new oak than has generally been the case in the recent past. The wines showcase very pure expressions of Nebbiolo and are made in a style that appears to make fewer concessions to the decidedly international approach of previous vintages. In short, these are the most Piedmontese wines I have tasted from Angelo Gaja in a long time. Could it be that the greatest innovator in Piedmont over the last thirty five-plus years has taken a small step towards a more classic style?

"Elegance whispers and opulence shouts," said Angelo Gaja, trying to describe the difference between Barbaresco and Barolo. "Opulence is easy to perceive, but the elegant character of Barbaresco is much more difficult to describe. " Gaja described 2004 as "a big crop, and especially large for growers who did not do a green harvest. " The 2005 harvest brought a much lower crop level, and Gaja picked all of his Barbaresco nebbiolo prior to the early October rains. (This fact was confirmed by some of his neighbors who were caught with a portion of their fruit hanging. ) IWC readers with long memories will recall that Gaja told me a few years back that he doubted he would make his cru bottlings from the hot 2003 harvest. In the end, he did offer these wines, but in very limited quantities. "We essentially conducted three harvests in 2003 [beginning on September 12th in Barbaresco], and we eventually kept just 38% to 45% of the fruit, depending on the site. " As always, my mini-marathon at Gaja went by too quickly, as I tasted a number of sensational bottlings. Production here has been a stable 350,000 bottles in recent years. Incidentally, in the '03, '04 and '05 vintages, Gaja added about 5% barbera to his crus from the Barbaresco area, with the Sperss getting 6% barbera and the Conteisa 8%.

"Elegance whispers and opulence shouts," said Angelo Gaja, trying to describe the difference between Barbaresco and Barolo. "Opulence is easy to perceive, but the elegant character of Barbaresco is much more difficult to describe. " Gaja described 2004 as "a big crop, and especially large for growers who did not do a green harvest. " The 2005 harvest brought a much lower crop level, and Gaja picked all of his Barbaresco nebbiolo prior to the early October rains. (This fact was confirmed by some of his neighbors who were caught with a portion of their fruit hanging. ) IWC readers with long memories will recall that Gaja told me a few years back that he doubted he would make his cru bottlings from the hot 2003 harvest. In the end, he did offer these wines, but in very limited quantities. "We essentially conducted three harvests in 2003 [beginning on September 12th in Barbaresco], and we eventually kept just 38% to 45% of the fruit, depending on the site. " As always, my mini-marathon at Gaja went by too quickly, as I tasted a number of sensational bottlings. Production here has been a stable 350,000 bottles in recent years. Incidentally, in the '03, '04 and '05 vintages, Gaja added about 5% barbera to his crus from the Barbaresco area, with the Sperss getting 6% barbera and the Conteisa 8%.

Gaja describes his 1999 nebbiolo wines as outstanding, dense and extremely long, but notes that they are still a bit severe. Interestingly, he considers his '99s to be both less powerful and less approachable than the '00s, which he says are almost overripe but high in dry extract (two years ago, Gaja told me that rain in September of '99 increased the quantity of juice in that vintage by 20%). "Two thousand one has all the ingredients. It's elegant and structured, with no exaggeration. You know, elegance is always on a knife's edge. If it's not supported by body, the wine can seem simple. If there's too much body, the wine becomes a blockbuster and elegance disappears. "Yes, Gaja uses a lot of new barriques for his nebbiolo wines, but his vinification can hardly be compared to that of modernists who do quick fermentations in rotofermenters. Gaja essentially does five to seven days of fermentation at 28oC to 30oC, doing a lot of pumpovers "for the first 50% of the sugars," then brings the temperature down to 22oC for the second week and stops pumping over. There is then a third week of post-fermentation maceration. This perfectionist producer sold off almost all of his 2002 vintage in bulk, and told me he won't offer the 2003 crus either. "The summer was too hot, and the grapes burned," he explained. As I have noted previously, Gaja's top nebbiolo crus are now bottled with only their proprietary names rather than being identified as Barbaresco or Barolo. Among the reasons Gaja has dropped the Barbaresco and Barolo designations is that he wants to be free to include small percentages of barbera in his wines (typically just 5% or 6%), "as a correction for acidity. "

Gaja describes his 1999 nebbiolo wines as outstanding, dense and extremely long, but notes that they are still a bit severe. Interestingly, he considers his '99s to be both less powerful and less approachable than the '00s, which he says are almost overripe but high in dry extract (two years ago, Gaja told me that rain in September of '99 increased the quantity of juice in that vintage by 20%). "Two thousand one has all the ingredients. It's elegant and structured, with no exaggeration. You know, elegance is always on a knife's edge. If it's not supported by body, the wine can seem simple. If there's too much body, the wine becomes a blockbuster and elegance disappears. "Yes, Gaja uses a lot of new barriques for his nebbiolo wines, but his vinification can hardly be compared to that of modernists who do quick fermentations in rotofermenters. Gaja essentially does five to seven days of fermentation at 28oC to 30oC, doing a lot of pumpovers "for the first 50% of the sugars," then brings the temperature down to 22oC for the second week and stops pumping over. There is then a third week of post-fermentation maceration. This perfectionist producer sold off almost all of his 2002 vintage in bulk, and told me he won't offer the 2003 crus either. "The summer was too hot, and the grapes burned," he explained. As I have noted previously, Gaja's top nebbiolo crus are now bottled with only their proprietary names rather than being identified as Barbaresco or Barolo. Among the reasons Gaja has dropped the Barbaresco and Barolo designations is that he wants to be free to include small percentages of barbera in his wines (typically just 5% or 6%), "as a correction for acidity. "

Gaja is the only Piedmont producer who attempted to articulate something I've felt in recent years about today's Barolos and Barbarescos. "We've been blessed by seven unusual vintages - unusual in the sense that they were consecutive. But there are also new tastes in our wines that we've never seen, a new complexity, maybe more texture. Perhaps it's partly due to the different angle of the sun during the growing season, which over the recent period has been starting a good 20 days earlier." The 2000 harvest was the earliest since 1997, Gaja went on. "In 2000 we are in a position to repeat the success of 1997; the wines are nearly as opulent and have slightly lower acidity. In '99, we did a severe green harvest, but rain in September expanded the grapes and increased the quantity of juice by 20%. These will be beautifully drinkable wines, perfect in restaurants but also with freshness and sound acidity for aging."Gaja's top nebbiolo crus are now bottled with only their proprietary names rather than being identified as Barbaresco or Barolo. The Conteisa features about 8% barbera, while his other crus generally include 5% or 6%. "The addition of some barbera is just a correction for acidity," noted Gaja. It brings no other obvious character. The wines are still very nebbiolo."

Gaja is the only Piedmont producer who attempted to articulate something I've felt in recent years about today's Barolos and Barbarescos. "We've been blessed by seven unusual vintages - unusual in the sense that they were consecutive. But there are also new tastes in our wines that we've never seen, a new complexity, maybe more texture. Perhaps it's partly due to the different angle of the sun during the growing season, which over the recent period has been starting a good 20 days earlier." The 2000 harvest was the earliest since 1997, Gaja went on. "In 2000 we are in a position to repeat the success of 1997; the wines are nearly as opulent and have slightly lower acidity. In '99, we did a severe green harvest, but rain in September expanded the grapes and increased the quantity of juice by 20%. These will be beautifully drinkable wines, perfect in restaurants but also with freshness and sound acidity for aging."Gaja's top nebbiolo crus are now bottled with only their proprietary names rather than being identified as Barbaresco or Barolo. The Conteisa features about 8% barbera, while his other crus generally include 5% or 6%. "The addition of some barbera is just a correction for acidity," noted Gaja. It brings no other obvious character. The wines are still very nebbiolo."

Angelo Gaja's 1999s have turned out brilliantly. Gaja chose to show all of these wines from magnum, which might help explain why the wines are so strong. At the same time, a recent bottle of the Sorì San Lorenzo was incredibly impressive. In any event, 1999 is an above average vintage at Gaja. I don't see the wines as super long-term agers, so readers should not be planning on extended cellaring for any of these wines.

Angelo Gaja spent a half hour explaining his controversial decision to bottle his Barbaresco (and Barolo) crus by their proprietary names rather than using the appellation. The history behind his decision dates back to the late 1960s, he began. Ever since Giacosa and Ratti and Prunotto began producing vineyard-designated wines (influenced by the wine writer Luigi Veronelli, who in turn was inspired by the French concept of individual site character at lower yield), hundreds of ex-grape growers in Barbaresco and Barolo have become producers. Over time, all have created their own pyramids of quality and prices. "The consumer has come to believe that the single-vineyard wines of each estate represented its highest quality, and began to devalue 'ordinary' or 'regular' Barbaresco," explained Gaja. "In a Catholic-Communist country like Italy, we have a culture of suspicion," Gaja theorized, "and now when people hear the word Barbaresco, they always associate it with 'straight' or 'ordinary' Barbaresco. But my three single-vineyard Barbarescos are niche wines; together they represent just 25% of my Barbaresco production. Now I will have only one wine labelled Barbaresco," said Gaja, adding that this wine will grow more rapidly in price in the future than the crus. "Now it will be the Barbaresco of Gaja, not Gaja straight Barbaresco." x000D x000D But what about Barolo, I asked Gaja: Surely the name Barolo hasn't been devalued in the same way-"and you don't offer a 'basic' Barolo anyway." "I couldn't handle my Barolo crus any differently," he replied.x000D x000D Gaja says he never wanted to use the vino da tavola appellation. "That was a Tuscan concept, and in any event I don't think we can make a better wine in the Piedmont than Barbaresco or Barolo." The Langhe appellation was introduced with the '93 vintage, and thus Gaja made the commercial decision to label his wines with their brand names (as opposed to a geographic name) and the generic designation Langhe Nebbiolo. But he waited until the '96, '97 and '98 vintages to make the step official on his labels, since the high quality of these vintages would make it apparent to his customers that he was not declassifying his wines.x000D x000D Using the Langhe Nebbiolo appellation also offers Gaja the flexibility to include up to 15% of other red varieties, whereas wine labelled Barbaresco or Barolo must be 100% nebbiolo. Although Gaja was reportedly the leader of a group of winemakers who failed to convince the authorities to allow the use of a small percentage of other grape varieties in Barbaresco, he told me he has no immediate plans to use other varieties, although he does have barbera planted in several of his cru vineyards. Two to five percent of barbera could be used, for example, to lift the acidity of a wine, says Gaja. "There's a belief here that cabernet can make everything better, even coffee," Gaja told me, but then added that he would be more likely to use indigenous red varieties than international ones like cabernet or merlot.x000D x000D Gaja describes the '96s as rigorous wines that are not immediately approachable, while the '97s are dense, rich and relatively easy to drink. The '98s may not be as dense as '97 or rigorous as '96, but the vintage combines the characteristics of the two earlier years and is at the same lofty quality level, he adds. Nineteen ninety-nine, says Gaja, yielded a large crop and varying quality: "Some wines will be very concentrated, but 75% will be characterized more by their elegance." Yields in Gaja's crus are always among the lowest in the region: around 30 hectoliters per hectare in '96 and '98, and between 25 and 30 in '97.

Angelo Gaja spent a half hour explaining his controversial decision to bottle his Barbaresco (and Barolo) crus by their proprietary names rather than using the appellation. The history behind his decision dates back to the late 1960s, he began. Ever since Giacosa and Ratti and Prunotto began producing vineyard-designated wines (influenced by the wine writer Luigi Veronelli, who in turn was inspired by the French concept of individual site character at lower yield), hundreds of ex-grape growers in Barbaresco and Barolo have become producers. Over time, all have created their own pyramids of quality and prices. "The consumer has come to believe that the single-vineyard wines of each estate represented its highest quality, and began to devalue 'ordinary' or 'regular' Barbaresco," explained Gaja. "In a Catholic-Communist country like Italy, we have a culture of suspicion," Gaja theorized, "and now when people hear the word Barbaresco, they always associate it with 'straight' or 'ordinary' Barbaresco. But my three single-vineyard Barbarescos are niche wines; together they represent just 25% of my Barbaresco production. Now I will have only one wine labelled Barbaresco," said Gaja, adding that this wine will grow more rapidly in price in the future than the crus. "Now it will be the Barbaresco of Gaja, not Gaja straight Barbaresco." x000D x000D But what about Barolo, I asked Gaja: Surely the name Barolo hasn't been devalued in the same way-"and you don't offer a 'basic' Barolo anyway." "I couldn't handle my Barolo crus any differently," he replied.x000D x000D Gaja says he never wanted to use the vino da tavola appellation. "That was a Tuscan concept, and in any event I don't think we can make a better wine in the Piedmont than Barbaresco or Barolo." The Langhe appellation was introduced with the '93 vintage, and thus Gaja made the commercial decision to label his wines with their brand names (as opposed to a geographic name) and the generic designation Langhe Nebbiolo. But he waited until the '96, '97 and '98 vintages to make the step official on his labels, since the high quality of these vintages would make it apparent to his customers that he was not declassifying his wines.x000D x000D Using the Langhe Nebbiolo appellation also offers Gaja the flexibility to include up to 15% of other red varieties, whereas wine labelled Barbaresco or Barolo must be 100% nebbiolo. Although Gaja was reportedly the leader of a group of winemakers who failed to convince the authorities to allow the use of a small percentage of other grape varieties in Barbaresco, he told me he has no immediate plans to use other varieties, although he does have barbera planted in several of his cru vineyards. Two to five percent of barbera could be used, for example, to lift the acidity of a wine, says Gaja. "There's a belief here that cabernet can make everything better, even coffee," Gaja told me, but then added that he would be more likely to use indigenous red varieties than international ones like cabernet or merlot.x000D x000D Gaja describes the '96s as rigorous wines that are not immediately approachable, while the '97s are dense, rich and relatively easy to drink. The '98s may not be as dense as '97 or rigorous as '96, but the vintage combines the characteristics of the two earlier years and is at the same lofty quality level, he adds. Nineteen ninety-nine, says Gaja, yielded a large crop and varying quality: "Some wines will be very concentrated, but 75% will be characterized more by their elegance." Yields in Gaja's crus are always among the lowest in the region: around 30 hectoliters per hectare in '96 and '98, and between 25 and 30 in '97.

After being told by numerous Barolo producers that '96 and '97 resembled '89 and '90, respectively, I was intrigued by Angelo Gaja assertion that '97 was rather like '89. Gaja, whose wines are quite high in tannins (including substantial oak tannins) but are rarely tough, clearly prefers a lower acid, more opulent, supple vintage like '97, which may be better suited to his winemaking style. But he admits that 1996 will be widely compared with 1990 because it so good in important growing regions across Europe. But 1997 is the most approachable of the last three vintages, as well as the highest in extract, says Gaja. "1995 has more nervous, aggressive tannins, like '82 or '78, and will need time. The wines will be at their best in 10 to 15 years." In style, 1996 is somewhere between '97 and '95, he adds. x000D x000D x000D Total maceration here lasts from 20 to 24 days, with the temperature highest during the first four or five days, when there is a lot of pumping over of the must. The temperature is then brought down to about 18 degrees Celsius for the rest of the fermentation and further maceration, and there is no further pumping over. Gaja used a relatively high 40% new oak for the '96s, but between 20% and 30% for '97 and '95.