Gaja releases ‘super cuvée’

Angelo Gaja has declassified his single vineyard Barbaresco wines for the 2012 vintage and blended them together in a “super cuvee” instead.

Gaja decided to declassify the wines as he felt the 2012s weren’t quite up to scratch enough to justify individual vinification and bottling.

The 2012 season was not a disaster, starting with a dry winter and mild spring and warm throughout the year but the lack of rainfall and a shortage of sunlight led to a “good” rather than an “outstanding” final quality at harvest time.

Blending together the wines from the three plots of Sori San Lorenzo, Sori Tildin and Costa Russi from which the single vineyard wines are usually produced he has nonetheless created what his UK agent, Armit, has called: “one of the must buys of the vintage.”

Martin Buchanan, head of private clients at Armit said: “The 2012 Barbaresco from Gaja is wildly impressive offering a glimpse of the single vineyards at a fraction of the usual price. This is one of the most complex, layered and long Barbarescos we have ever tried from Gaja.”

The tasting note added: “The bouquet shows a nice complexity and concentration: rose and violet petals, notes of aromatic herbs, ripe red berries and peculiar scent of hard candies which leads directly to the distinctive sweetness and juiciness of the palate. The presence of the single vineyards, especially the typical mineral notes of Sorì San Lorenzo, plays a distinctive role on the blend, in particular referred to the powerful, assertive tannic structure.”

It is available for £430 per six in-bond.