Help Needed! Gaja...

WINE TALK
1

Being known as the ‘wine guy’ at the office has its advantages, our excecutives love me because I’m always sending them deals on wine that I know they like. But the CFO stopped me in the hall yesterday and gave me a tough request…

Him: “Gaja!! I had a bottle last week that blew my mind! Can you find me some deals on it??”

Me: “Wow! That’s good stuff! Do you realize that is can be VERY expensive?”

Him: “Anything under $150, I’m a buyer!”

I’ll admit that I know very little about Italian vinous treasures - I’ve enjoyed the Chianti Reservas and Brunellos that I’ve had, but there is very little selection around here so I’ve yet to have the opportunity to explore. After hearing about Gaja on wine boards, I’ve always thought of them as a Piedmonte producer of Barolo and Barbaresco, but after some research it seems that they also produce Brunello as well??

To the Italian experts - how would you handle this?? I know this guy is a typical Cali Cab drinker - he has a lot of Silver Oak and Caymus - so his sudden enjoyment of Nebbiolo is somewhat puzzling… Am I wasting my time trying to explain that these wines need 15 to 20 years?? Does Gaja make an entry level Nebbiolo-based wine that has an earlier drinking window?

Thanks for the help!

2

As a point of reference do you have any idea what he might of tasted and liked so much the other night? If it was something like Gaja’s Ca Marcanda then that’s a piece of cake to come up with online well under that price point. If it was the Sperss then quite frankly you’re screwed. Ain’t happening.

3

I think he has no idea - I’m sure he thinks Gaja is like BDX, only making one or two wines. I’ll ask if the wine he had was heavier (Cab or Syrah like) or if it was lighter (Pinot), which should at least narrow it down to Nebbiolo or Brunello…

4

Not Nebbiolo, but for around $100 he can try Gaja’s Sugarille Brunello

5

Couplpe of more options Mike:

http://www.e-winegifts.com/shopexd.asp?t=Angelo+Gaja+Dagromis+Barolo&catalogid=425229&template=tmp_prddetails.htm" onclick=“window.open(this.href);return false;


http://www.e-winegifts.com/shopexd.asp?t=Angelo+Gaja+Sito+Moresco&catalogid=425236&template=tmp_prddetails.htm” onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

6

Here’s about as good a site on the net that you can go to in order to see all of the wines Gaja produces:

http://www.terlatowines.com/wines/italy/gaja/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

His wines are kind of confusing sometime because he’s changed them over time. For instance, older versions of some wines were produced as Barolo Sperss then changed to Nebbiolo Sperss and now I think they pretty much just market it as Sperss. Over time he’s moved from 100% Nebbiolo on many wines to blending them with other International varietals such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m betting he had a blend of some sorts since you say he’s such a Cali freak.

7

Old Docs has the Moresco for under $100 (can’t remember specifically)

8

Ouch! How much under $100??? That link I posted above has it for $47.

9

Thanks guys! He just came back and said that it was “Cab-like”… I’ll assume that eliminates all the Nebbiolo wines… ??

10

" know this guy is a typical Cali Cab drinker - he has a lot of Silver Oak and Caymus "

Then he will LOVE the Gaja stuff. The reason that he has progressively changed the labels and taken them out of their DOCG’s is that he blends other stuff into them and makes them in such a style that they DO appeal to the SO / Caymus / Pavie kind of drinker.

11

Thanks Roberto! One question - given your comment, do you think some of his Nebbiolo-based wines could be mistaken for Cab? Or is it more likely that he just tasted one of the Gaja BDX blends?

12

Hell, his CHARDONNAY could be mistaken for Cab.

13

Ordinarily I would say yes but he had the honor and courtesy to NOT call those wines Barolo or Barbaresco but simply name them after their vineyards. So, at least it is not a truth in labeling problem like many of his neighbors. BUT, it is a shame that some of the best vineyards in Barbaresco and Barolo are not used to MAKE Barbaresco and Barolo.

14

What Roberto said… if he likes Silver Oak / Caymus it’s not surprising that he would like Gaja wines. Which Gaja wines? Hard to say, there is a stylistic stamp there that is very strong and being described as “Cab like” could just mean to say that it was ripe and oaky. Additionally, most of the wines have some Cab blended in.

All that said, there are a lot of Gaja wines and Gaja related projects… if he’s a buyer for “anything under $150” send him links to all of them, he can be a big boy and figure out how to spend his money.

15

Not really true. It was widely believed for years that Gaja added some Barbera and/or Cab to his single vineyard Barbarescos (Sori Tildin, Sori San Lorenzo, and Costa Russi) and later to his Barolo (Sperss). Only in the mid-1990s, when they started genetic testing of DOCG wines (to insure that Barolo and Barbaresco were 100% Nebbiolo) did he take the labels “Barolo” and “Barbaresco” off these wines.

FWIW his plain Barbaresco is 100% Nebbiolo and a beautiful wine. It can be had for $150.

16

Which part is not true, Ken? That he did it out of courtesy? You’re saying he did it to not get fined? Doesn’t surprise me…

17

I had the opportunity to drink some 1998 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sorì San Lorenzo a few weeks back and it was outstanding. Reading what people here are saying I guess it should be no surprise that I am a fan of big cabs.

18

Thanks guys! Looks like the bottle he had was the Darmagi - their BDX blend.

Reputation upheld! [berserker.gif]

19

Yes, exactly.

20

Hunt around. It should be too hard to find a good vintage for under $150.

BTW Darmagi means “What a pity” in Piemontese. It’s what Angelo’s grandfather said when he saw that Angelo had planted Cabernet in Nebbiololand.