Angelo Gaja : Barbaresco 2022

Tasting notes and characteristics of Angelo Gaja's Barbaresco 2022

Tasting

Appearance
The wine displays a brilliant ruby red hue, adorned with vivid, luminous reflections that reflect the full ripeness of the fruit.

Nose
Vibrant and exceptionally pure, the bouquet opens on aromas of ripe red fruits such as cherry, strawberry and raspberry, underlined by notes of sweet spices like juniper and pink pepper. With aeration, subtle hints of cedar, tobacco, fresh leather and liquorice emerge to deliver beautiful complexity.

Palate
Rich and structured, the palate offers a silky texture dominated by flavours of strawberry and raspberry. A lovely acidity with citrus accents brings freshness, while the mid-palate reveals a mineral and savoury dimension. The tannins, both powerful and refined, accompany a long finish marked by nuances of orange zest and star anise.

Food and wine pairings

This red wine pairs beautifully with traditional Piedmont dishes such as braised beef, or a risotto with mushrooms and truffle. In its youth, it also goes very well with roasted white meats, pasta in a flavourful tomato sauce, or, more boldly, a tuna and avocado tartare.

Serving and cellaring

To fully enjoy the Barbaresco 2022, it is recommended to serve it at a temperature between 15 and 18°C. Decanting for thirty minutes to one hour before tasting is advised to release its full aromatic palette. With its solid structure, this vintage has excellent cellaring potential.

The elegance and complexity of a great Piedmont wine

The estate

Founded in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja, the family estate has established itself as an essential reference in Piedmont, Italy, and throughout the world. Today, Angelo Gaja, a visionary figure in winemaking, still passionately oversees this property of around 110 hectares, supported by the fifth generation embodied by his children Gaia, Rossana and Giovanni. A pioneer in adopting sustainable practices, the estate brilliantly combines respect for historical traditions with technical innovation to produce Italian wines of remarkable quality.

The vineyard

The grapes used for this wine come from fourteen distinct plots spread over 21.4 hectares around the village of Barbaresco. Located at altitudes ranging between 250 and 330 metres, the vines thrive on soils composed of clay, limestone and sand derived from marine sediments. The estate favours massal selection and sustainable management: no chemical pesticides or herbicides have been used since 1995. Biodiversity is encouraged through the production of natural compost, the planting of wildflowers and the presence of beehives.

The vintage

The year was marked by particularly extreme weather conditions. The growing season endured brutal heat and intense drought, putting the vines to a severe test. Thanks to the resilience of the plants and an extremely rigorous sorting during the harvest, only the fruit that had reached optimal ripeness was retained.

Winemaking and ageing

The production of Barbaresco 2022 is based on an extended maceration of up to thirty days, allowing optimal extraction. Each plot is vinified separately. Ageing begins with six to twelve months in French oak barrels, of which one third are new. After blending, this Piedmont wine continues its ageing for an additional twelve months in large traditional Slavonian oak casks.

Grape variety

100% Nebbiolo.