1 double-magnum per lot
Details
ITALY'S GREATEST WINE MAKING NAMES: GAJA, CERETTO, AND ANTINORI
IN THEIR FINEST VINTAGES
AND IN MAJESTIC FORMATS
GAJA BARBARESCO
HISTORY
The Gaja family settled in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy in the mid-seventeenth century. Four generations of Gajas have been producing wines in Piedmont's Langhe hills since 1859, the year Giovanni Gaja, a local grape grower, established the Gaja winery in Barbaresco. Over the years, the Gajas acquired some of the finest vineyards in the Langhe. Today, The Gaja winery owns 250 acres of vineyards in the Barbaresco district (Barbaresco and Treiso villages) and the Barolo district (Serralunga d'Alba and La Morra villages).
The Langhe hills, with their steep slopes of calcareous clay, are home to the Nebbiolo grape and its long-lived wines of exceptional character. For decades, classic Barbaresco and Barolo were made from Nebbiolo grapes from several vineyards. Gaja was among the first wineries to vinify Nebbiolo grapes from individual vineyards separately beginning with Sorì San Lorenzo in 1967.
In addition to its flagship Gaja Barbaresco D.O.C.G., the Gaja winery produces five single-vineyard Nebbiolo based wines: Sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì Tildìn, Costa Russi from the Barbaresco district; Sperss and Conteisa from the Barolo district. Gaja single-vineyard wines carried the Barbaresco or Barolo appellations through 1995. Beginning with the 1996 vintage, all of Gaja's single-vineyard wines have been labled Langhe Nebbiolo D.O.C. The move to change the denomination of arguably some of Piedmont's most famous wines was controversial to say the least. These wines had attained a world wide reputation yet Angelo felt they undermined the prestige of his traditional Barbaresco D.O.C.G. wine. In Angelo's words the original Barbaresco is "by far my most important wine."
BARBARESCO D.O.C.G.
Fourteen estate-owned vineyards provide the grapes for Gaja's flagship Barbaresco. These vineyards, which are located in the villages of Barbaresco and Treiso, lie at altitudes of 750 to 950 feet above sea level. The average yield per acre is 2.6 tons, considerably lower than the maximum yield of 3.53 tons per acre permitted by the D.O.C.G. legislation. Fermentation with the skins occurs in stainless steel tanks controlled temperatures of between 78 degrees and 85 degrees F for up to three weeks. The Barbaresco is wood-aged in two phases, spending twelve months in barriques followed by twelve months in large oak casks.
SORÌ TILDÌN
The eight-acre Sorì Tildìn vineyard was acquired by the Gaja family in 1967. The first vintage produced as a single-vineyard wine was 1970. sorì means a hilltop with a southern exposure; Tildìn displays the roundest flavor profile of all Gaja single-vineyard wines. The rich body, supple texture and fine, ripe tannins are hallmarks of this wine of great finesse, the quintessential expression of the land and the Nebbiolo grape. The wine has extraordinary aging potential -- 40 years in outstanding vintages.
SORÌ SAN LORENZO
Purchased in 1964 this nine-acre vineyard hails from the parish of Alba and is named after San Lorenzo, the patron saint of Alba's cathedral. Sorì San Lorenzo 1967 was Gaja's first single-vineyard wine. Fermentation with the skins takes place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures of 82 degrees F for one week and 64 degrees F for two weeks. The wine is aged in barriques for twelve months followed by an additional twelve months of aging in large oak casks. Sorì San Lorenzo is usually the most powerful and austere of Gaja's single-vineyard wines, it therefore requires a longer time to fully develop. It can often be described as a very focused, concentrated wine with a long, lingering finish and refined tannins, it has exceptional aging potential.
Property of a Gentleman
The following were recently removed by Christie's from a temperature and humidity controlled, private, below ground level, home cellar.
Barbaresco--Vintage 1978
Piedmont, Gaja
Level: 6.5cm; exposed wax capsule top
1 double-magnum per lot
IN THEIR FINEST VINTAGES
AND IN MAJESTIC FORMATS
GAJA BARBARESCO
HISTORY
The Gaja family settled in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy in the mid-seventeenth century. Four generations of Gajas have been producing wines in Piedmont's Langhe hills since 1859, the year Giovanni Gaja, a local grape grower, established the Gaja winery in Barbaresco. Over the years, the Gajas acquired some of the finest vineyards in the Langhe. Today, The Gaja winery owns 250 acres of vineyards in the Barbaresco district (Barbaresco and Treiso villages) and the Barolo district (Serralunga d'Alba and La Morra villages).
The Langhe hills, with their steep slopes of calcareous clay, are home to the Nebbiolo grape and its long-lived wines of exceptional character. For decades, classic Barbaresco and Barolo were made from Nebbiolo grapes from several vineyards. Gaja was among the first wineries to vinify Nebbiolo grapes from individual vineyards separately beginning with Sorì San Lorenzo in 1967.
In addition to its flagship Gaja Barbaresco D.O.C.G., the Gaja winery produces five single-vineyard Nebbiolo based wines: Sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì Tildìn, Costa Russi from the Barbaresco district; Sperss and Conteisa from the Barolo district. Gaja single-vineyard wines carried the Barbaresco or Barolo appellations through 1995. Beginning with the 1996 vintage, all of Gaja's single-vineyard wines have been labled Langhe Nebbiolo D.O.C. The move to change the denomination of arguably some of Piedmont's most famous wines was controversial to say the least. These wines had attained a world wide reputation yet Angelo felt they undermined the prestige of his traditional Barbaresco D.O.C.G. wine. In Angelo's words the original Barbaresco is "by far my most important wine."
BARBARESCO D.O.C.G.
Fourteen estate-owned vineyards provide the grapes for Gaja's flagship Barbaresco. These vineyards, which are located in the villages of Barbaresco and Treiso, lie at altitudes of 750 to 950 feet above sea level. The average yield per acre is 2.6 tons, considerably lower than the maximum yield of 3.53 tons per acre permitted by the D.O.C.G. legislation. Fermentation with the skins occurs in stainless steel tanks controlled temperatures of between 78 degrees and 85 degrees F for up to three weeks. The Barbaresco is wood-aged in two phases, spending twelve months in barriques followed by twelve months in large oak casks.
SORÌ TILDÌN
The eight-acre Sorì Tildìn vineyard was acquired by the Gaja family in 1967. The first vintage produced as a single-vineyard wine was 1970. sorì means a hilltop with a southern exposure; Tildìn displays the roundest flavor profile of all Gaja single-vineyard wines. The rich body, supple texture and fine, ripe tannins are hallmarks of this wine of great finesse, the quintessential expression of the land and the Nebbiolo grape. The wine has extraordinary aging potential -- 40 years in outstanding vintages.
SORÌ SAN LORENZO
Purchased in 1964 this nine-acre vineyard hails from the parish of Alba and is named after San Lorenzo, the patron saint of Alba's cathedral. Sorì San Lorenzo 1967 was Gaja's first single-vineyard wine. Fermentation with the skins takes place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures of 82 degrees F for one week and 64 degrees F for two weeks. The wine is aged in barriques for twelve months followed by an additional twelve months of aging in large oak casks. Sorì San Lorenzo is usually the most powerful and austere of Gaja's single-vineyard wines, it therefore requires a longer time to fully develop. It can often be described as a very focused, concentrated wine with a long, lingering finish and refined tannins, it has exceptional aging potential.
Property of a Gentleman
The following were recently removed by Christie's from a temperature and humidity controlled, private, below ground level, home cellar.
Barbaresco--Vintage 1978
Piedmont, Gaja
Level: 6.5cm; exposed wax capsule top
1 double-magnum per lot
Provenance
Acquired by the current owner upon initial commercial release