Wine Advisor
Gaja, Barolo Sperss 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2016 Barolo Sperss is powerful, wild and savory. It is also much more translucent and Nebbiolo-classic than in the past. Dried herbs, menthol, pine, spice and licorice give Sperss a good deal of aromatic complexity. Today, the 2016 is very shut down and reticent. It will be interesting to see what time brings, and specifically, if Sperss gains more flesh in bottle. At this stage it is light, uncharacteristically so, for a wine that has typically exhibit much more brawn.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Gaja's Barolo Sperss is unbelievably polished in 2016. Fragrant, medium in body and silky for a Serralunga Barolo, Sperss speaks to finesse more than anything else. The dark, brooding qualities that are such signatures emerge with time in the glass, and yet the 2016 remains light on its feet and incredibly nuanced. While the 2015 showed some linkage to the past, the 2016 really appears to represent a big stylistic shift. What a gorgeous wine it is.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The golden touch, that proverbial Gaja magic, is taken to a whole new level in the 2016 Barolo Sperss. Angelo Gaja has taught his children to follow their own path, and now that the generational switch is well underway at the family estate, we can see that Gaia, Rossana and Giovanni have done him proud. Very proud. This stunning expression from the 2016 vintage (with 16,000 bottles released) represents quite a few celebratory milestones. We are now in the fifth generation to protect the Gaja legacy in an unbroken family chain that has endured since 1859. This wine is 100% Nebbiolo, and since the 2013 vintage, it is part of the Barolo DOCG appellation. Winemaking has been tweaked to embrace a more elegant, ethereal and streamlined personality, instead of the bigger extraction we saw in the past. This upgraded identity is distinctly evident in this newest release of Sperss. Starting with appearance, the wine is luminous and bright with shiny ruby and garnet gemstone. Its aromatic reach is three-dimensional with width, height and depth. Delicate berry tones cede to pressed lilac, anise, sandalwood and cardamom spice. I double decanted and left the bottle open for a few hours before my tasting. The results are tight and gentle, and the wine shows beautiful vertical lift and intensity. To achieve this much power without the excess fruit weight is really quite an accomplishment. This is the magic of Nebbiolo, and the magic of Gaja.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Very floral and refined with dried cherry, strawberry, smoke and spice. Some tile and toffee. Fascinating aromas. Full-bodied and very tight with a solid core of polished tannins that are so creamy and beautiful. Tight and reserved with really wonderful length and focus. Try after 2023.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2016 Barolo Sperss is powerful, wild and savory. It is also much more translucent and Nebbiolo-classic than in the past. Dried herbs, menthol, pine, spice and licorice give Sperss a good deal of aromatic complexity. Today, the 2016 is very shut down and reticent. It will be interesting to see what time brings, and specifically, if Sperss gains more flesh in bottle. At this stage it is light, uncharacteristically so, for a wine that has typically exhibit much more brawn.
About the Producer
Located in the Barbaresco region of Piedmont, Italy, Gaja was founded in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja and is still owned by the Gaja family. For generations, the Gaja family has worked tirelessly to achieve the five-star rating in the 2013 Vini d'Italia. In 1961, Angelo Gaja, Giovanni's son, gradually took over the winery's affairs from his father. Angelo studied winemaking at university and obtained a doctorate in economics. Since taking charge of the estate, Angelo has travelled extensively to France (particularly the great Burgundy estates) and has been inspired to make bold changes to the estate. Not only did he emphasise Green Harvest and yield control in the management of the vineyards to achieve high quality wines, but he also pioneered the introduction of Bordeaux grape varieties and advanced winemaking equipment such as temperature-controlled fermenters and French oak barrels, as well as the creative introduction of single-vineyard wines, and is therefore considered to be a pioneer of the modern Italian style of wine, and has made an indelible contribution to the international reputation of Piedmont and indeed Italy. He is also regarded as a pioneer of modern Italian wines and has made an indelible contribution to the international reputation of Piedmont and Italy. The winery has a number of vineyards, including three of the better known single vineyards in Barbaresco - Sori San Lorenzo, Sori Tildin and Costa Russi - where the most popular Piedmontese grape variety, Nebbiolo, is grown. Nebbiolo, the most popular red grape variety in Piedmont. Sori San Lorenzo is a vineyard bought from the parish of Alba and named after the patron saint of the Alba Cathedral, while Russi is the nickname of the former owner. The vineyards were expanded and in 1988 the winery acquired Marenca & Rivette in the Barolo appellation and began producing Barolo wines; in 1994 it acquired Pieve Santa Restituta in the Montalcino appellation of Tuscany; and in 1996 it acquired the Pieve Santa Restituta in the Tuscany appellation. In 2000, Angelo Gaja broke with tradition by blending a small portion of Barbera with Nebbiolo to make Barbaresco, a controversial move at the time. 2016 On 1 July, Gaia Gaja, the eldest daughter of Angelo, announced to the public that the three single vineyards of the Gaja estate - Surrey San Lorenzo, Surrey Tintin and Ross Coast - would be used as specific appellations for the Gaja Barbaresco wines, which must The Barbaresco wines will be made from 100% Nebbiolo. This initiative ushers in a new era for Château Gaja. The wines produced by Château Gaja are of different styles and of outstanding quality. The Gaja Barbaresco DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) is the best of the Barbaresco wines and has developed into one of Italy's famous "Four Jasons". In addition, Gaja has produced three single-vineyard Barbaresco wines using grapes from the Surrey San Lorenzo, Surrey Tintin and Costa Rossa vineyards, which have also received high marks from many renowned wine critics. The Gaja Sori San Lorenzo Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmont, Italy, the first single-vineyard wine to be released, is the most powerful of the estate's single-vineyard wines, receiving full marks for the 2013 vintage from James Suckling. The 2013 vintage received a perfect score from James Suckling.
