2018 Gaja Langhe Gaia & Rey
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Gaia & Rey offers up a whole range of tropical and orchard fruit flavors, showing an extra kick of creaminess that is surprising given the cool vintage and the decision to fully block the malolactic fermentation. Passion fruit, pastry, spice and a kick of well-judged oak build nicely in the glass. The 2018 finishes with lovely tension and energy.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Named after Lucia and Angelo Gaja's daughter, Gaia Gaja, and Angelo's grandmother, Clotilde Rey, the 2018 Langhe Gaia & Rey (100% Chardonnay) offers a richer, layered, medium-bodied style that carries beautiful stone fruits, white flowers, salty minerality, and a touch of honeysuckle. Nicely textured and balanced, with both richness and freshness, this outstanding Chardonnay should continue drinking nicely for another 5-7 years.
The Gaja 2018 Langhe Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve is very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles. Some 16,000 bottles were made.
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.