2016 Gaja Barbaresco
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Tasting notes
Mid ruby translucent colour with scorched / fired earth and grilled herb aromas allied with ripe red cherry fruit and dried floral perfume. The wine is equally seductive with its very fine tannins yet deceptively structured as the wines builds layers of texture in the mouth. Mulberry and cherry fruit flavours dominate with slatey mineral freshness on the finish and plenty of dry extract that will no doubt develop with time. This needs a few more years to fully unfurl on the palate as is fairly compact, but the wine has a lovely poised energy on the palate and is beautifully balanced. It will age beautifully.
Critic scores
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Barbaresco showed beautifully, with a classical yet seductive and sweetly fruited style that's going to evolve gracefully. Medium ruby-hued, with a core of sweet red fruits balanced by classic dried flowers, licorice, asphalt, and medicinal herbs, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness that carries impress sweet fruit as well as building tannins. Barbaresco doesn't get more classic, and while it has a sunny, sweetly fruited style, it also has ample underlying tannins and structure, so give bottles 4-5 years. It should deliver the goods for two decades or more.
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. (AG)
‘Barbaresco’ very modestly displayed on the label in pale grey. Palish ruby. Gorgeous multi-layered nose. Raspberry, marasca cherry, iron and hints of oak. Tightly knit red-fruit palate on a rich layer of firm tannins. Elegant palate weight and tangy finish, but this is just at the beginning of its development.
About the producer
Gaja has been at the forefront of the Piedmont wine scene for many years and is Barbaresco’s most decorated producer. The winery has received a record number of Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards – the highest accolade from Italy’s leading wine publication.