I know I'm supposed to like Gaja

But I just always feel let down. They are well made, but I just don’t find them particularly interesting almost universally across the board. And they’re expensive.

Are there wines I should be seeking out from their lineup?

Have you had many with some age on them? I can’t remember the last Gaja I’ve had, but it’s been a while. Just not a producer my group tends to drink. But, I think age can help a lot.

You have to give them a lot of time. The '79 Barbaresco is stunning now.

Recently had a 2010 that just didn’t make much of an impression, but the '97 Sperss from early this year was stellar, as in my WOTY so far.

The 1990 SSL is one of my top 10 ever. The 2001 recently was nice but way too young.

They’re more interesting if you like drinking acid more than taking it… But count me as one that gets bored to death by the noble Italian grapes (or anything vicious grown within its borders save Giodo, Ornalaia, Quintarelli and Caiarossa).

I love Gajas but, as everyone says, they need a looot of time … I’ve never had one that was seriously secondary, even from the early '90s.

They’re also wines built around their acidity, not their tannins, and often shut down on those acids. If you like serious acidity in wines, like I do, you’ll tend to like Gajas more than if you don’t.

Choose ‘lesser’ vintages from the '90s, if you can, give them a long decant and drink with beef or other solid dishes that will soften them a bit …

OTOH, maybe you really just don’t like them … YMMV …

I visited Gaja’s Brunello winery (Pieve Santa Restituta) last October and loved the wines we tasted. Three of them, from recently released vintages, were explosive but delicious. For those not as long in the tooth as I, these would be great to check in on in 15-20 years. But the 1997 and 1999 Sugarille were both spectacular. Very complex - a blend of black fruit with savory bloody meat, anise, herbs and spices, tobacco, earthiness and dusty ripe tannins. My wife preferred the '97 (bigger fruit) while I gave the edge to the '99 (more structure).

So how would their simply Langhe rate in the pantheon?

Chris- I am a fan of Gaja. My stash started with the 98 vintage
I opened a 2001 Barbaresco not too long ago and it was great with about 1 hour or 2 of air.

You don’t have to. Which ones have you had? What Nebbiolo-based wines have you had that you liked more? They are expensive and a fairly subtle style of Nebbiolo.

That’s exactly it. These are dense, modern wines that can seem a little ‘dumb’ in their youth. With bottle age they are really special wines.

As much as I love them, I do think they are very expensive, and there are just way too many great alternatives for 1/4th the price.

I have heard that the pre1982 wines are different from the later wines. I have enjoyed a number of bottles of the earlier wines (eg 78 regular Barbaresco) that were magnificent 20 years on. My experiences with more recent wines has been less exciting, but perhaps I have not had them with sufficient time/age. And of course pricing now is kind of insane, so I get my nebbiolo kicks from less expensive sources.

Chris, you have company here. I have not drunk a lot of Gaja, but I find the wines too polished and lacking soul (I know that some don’t like that term, but I know of none better for what I am trying to describe here). At the price of entry, I don’t even consider them to drink or to sell.

Had the 89 Barbaresco last week after SO’d all day & it was one of the finest Nebbiolos I can recall. It was actually still dark & has a long delicious road ahead!

The only one I bought and drank with age on it was the 1985 normale (around 2010) and it really didn’t do anything for me.

I’m not much of a fan since they started adding Barbera to the Nebbiolo (which is why they can’t call it Barbaresco anymore). Those with a lot of age may be predating the change from Barbaresco to Langhe (i.e., the addition of Barbera).

I’d have to look at what the vintage was (2012?), but certainly a recent release completely wrecked by sour, green oak. YMMV

Thanks, David. Close: I was considering the 2011 for a decent (40-ish) price, but there are probably better ones at a discount to that that I would like more.

I know that I’ve never had a Gaja that impressed me. It might just have been the specific bottles but at those prices I need an epiphany before I’d consider buying.