Lot presentation

Barbaresco DOCG Angelo Gaja (no reserve) 1981

The wine

Barbaresco refers to the central part of Piedmont, located close to Alba. This designation area ranks among the most noble in Italy. It owes its international reputation to the incredible cuvées of Angelo Gaja in particular. Relatively lighter and softer than the neighbouring Barolo, yet still high in tannins and concentrated, Barbaresco is extremely distinguished and one of the best Italian wines. Angelo Gaja is without a question one of the biggest names in Italian wine. Born in 1940, in 1961 he took over the family estate in the Langhe hills in the Piedmont region that was founded in 1859. Today, he oversees around 100 hectares of vineyards and does not buy any grapes externally. Gaja was a key contributor to the international reputation of some of the greatest Piedmont wines, with the Barbaresco and Barolo wines in particular. He set himself apart from the competition thanks to new vinification and ageing techniques, which were deemed revolutionary at the time as it broke away from customary regional practices: selecting the very best plots, reducing yields, ageing in new French oak barrels instead of Yugoslavian oak casks.

About the Producer Angelo Gaja

Angelo Gaja is probably one of the greatest names in Italian winemaking. Born in 1940, he took over the family vineyard in 1961 in the hilly Langhe region of the Piedmont which can trace its roots back to 1859. He now manages approximately 100 hectares of wines and does not buy in any grapes. Gaja was instrumental in raising the international profile of fine Piedmontese wines, notably Barbarescos and Barolos, with his distinctive use of new vinification techniques and ageing methods, at odds with regional practices at the time: choosing the best parcels, reducing yields, and using new French oak casks instead of Yugoslavian oak barrels. His best Barbaresco parcels now produce some of the finest wines in Italy (Sori Tildin, Sori San Lorenzo, and Costa Russi). He was also the first winegrower to plant Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay, as well as Sauvignon Blanc instead of Nebbiolo, contrary to the advice of his peers.

Detailed characteristics