2009 Gaja Barbaresco

The 2009 Barbaresco is absolutely remarkable for the way it carersses the palate with endless layers of sweet red fruit. Will the 2009 shut down in bottle? Truth is, I don’t know, but the wine is exceptionally beautiful and polished from the very first taste. Ripe, red berries, crushed flowers and deeply spiced notes are woven into an intricate fabric of indescribable class. I am not sure how Angelo Gaja and his team do it, but this is a super-impressive wine in every way. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029. Angelo Gaja doesn’t say too much about his wines these days. He doesn’t need to. The wines more than speak for themselves. What impresses me most about the 2009s is the elegance of their tannin. This is a vintage where managing the crop load was critical in achieving balance. Gaja is one of the very few growers who got it right. His wines stand out for their textural finesse and sense of harmony. Although Gaja is easily the most glamorous winery in Piedmont, it remains a family affair, with Angelo Gaja’s wife Lucia, and their daughters Gaia and Rossana increasingly involved, and their younger brother Giovanni set to follow in their footsteps. Long-time winemaker Guido Rivella keeps a much lower profile, but he is the man who has produced all of Gaja’s most legendary wines going back to 1970. Angelo Gaja describes 2009 as a year with a lot of rain until June. The bunches on average were loose and the berries small, which resulted in high skin-to-juice ratios, which is quite favorable for ageworthy wines. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604 8900

Good full bright red. Soil-driven aromas of sour cherry, pomegranate, minerals and leather, lifted by treble notes of flowers and white fruits. Dense and nicely filled in, with a restrained sweetness and enticing minty lift contributing to the impression of vibrancy. Finishes quite long, with substantial tongue-dusting tannins. This is excellent.

The 2009 Barbaresco is absolutely remarkable for the way it carersses the palate with endless layers of sweet red fruit. Will the 2009 shut down in bottle? Truth is, I don’t know, but the wine is exceptionally beautiful and polished from the very first taste. Ripe, red berries, crushed flowers and deeply spiced notes are woven into an intricate fabric of indescribable class. I am not sure how Angelo Gaja and his team do it, but this is a super-impressive wine in every way. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029. Oct 2012, www.robertparker.com