Buy Gaja Piedmont 2008 New Releases

It is our great pleasure to offer the new 2008 releases from Angelo Gaja in Piedmont.

It is with great pleasure that we introduce Gaja’s flagship Babaresco 2008 alongside the iconic single vineyard wines Costa Russi 2008, Sorì Tildìn 2008 and Sorì San Lorenzo 2008. Following on from a fantastic 2007 vintage, we were delighted to be presented with the spectacular new releases from 2008.

The wines are less powerful than the 2007s but they have great depth and balance with fine definition which Angelo Gaja describes as “magnificent”. The aromas are complex and the flavours explosive on the palate with beautifully integrated tannins balanced by a seductive acidity.

The striking feature of the 2008 single vineyard wines, more so than in any recent vintage, is their unique expression of terroir which is clearly distinct in each wine.

The 2008 vintage was excellent despite relatively difficult weather conditions in the spring and early summer with cool temperatures and rainfall. Some vineyards also suffered damage from hail and strong winds, all of which affected the flowering and reduced the potential yield. Differences in the exposure of the vineyards and the quality of the soil were more critical than ever in 2008.

Fortunately from the end of August there as a long period of stable and sunny weather. Temperatures were mild during the day and cool at night which helped make up for lost time earlier in the year. Beautiful weather at the end of September and the beginning of October enabled the grapes to develop slowly and achieve perfect levels of ripeness. The good weather also allowed the harvest to be completed in good time and it was possible to choose the best possible moment to harvest the Nebbiolo, in particular, achieving excellent results. Quality was outstanding in 2008 but production levels were lower than average.

Overall these conditions provided the perfect platform for the wines to show the distinct expression of their terroir, this was clearly evident in the single vineyard wines. The Barbaresco has a delightful freshness and immediate delicious fruit, Angelo was clear that it is not as opulent or rich as say the 1997, but it is incredibly appealing and will be the perfect drinking bridge whilst waiting for some of your older vintages to be ready. Angelo believes that the overriding 2008 characteristic is elegance, and we would have to agree. The wines are utterly delicious and an essential component for any serious cellar.

Please call +044(0)20 7908 0660 or email us at sales@armit.co.uk

Produced from Estate-owned vineyards, Gaja's Barbaresco has deep, complex fruit flavours supported by refreshing acidity and firm tannins, and although it has the capacity to age for 20 or more years, the wine can be appreciated within a few years of bottling.
The 2008 Barbaresco is a delicious wine that is already drinking divinely, drawing on elements from each of the single-vineyards. The nose is one of pure elegance, a fragrant and heady mix of crunchy red fruits, light tobacco leaf, soft violets and rose petal, fresh thyme and subtle, smoky notes of tar and earth. On the palate there is an energetic acidity that is in complete harmony with the very fine tannins, and a refreshing, moreish wave of ripe dark cherries, a stone-like minerality all leading to a long finish. The overall impression is of elegance and instant appeal, with the clear promise of even more greatness with age.

Among all the Gaja single vineyards, Costa Russi is the most captivating and elegant with an appealing, velvety structure from a young age, but it also has excellent ageing potential.
The 2008 Costa Russi is a dramatic combination of elegance and power. Rich aromas of ripe dark cherry, purple plum, crisp red fruit, sweet spice and marjoram are underpinned with a meaty undertone of roasted coffee beans and oak. A cleansing, rounded acidity, lovely fine tannins, violet and ripe dark fruits lead on the palate with elements of savoury spice proving the perfect complement. This is a really elegant Costa Russi and, with extra ripeness it always has, is surprisingly approachable now.

The complexity of Gaja's wines reach their pinnacle with this wine, the quintessential expression of Nebbiolo.
The 2008 Sorì Tildìn vividly encapsulates the red fruit evident in all of Gaja's 08s. It is, however, a more masculine style than the Costa Russi with a nose of earthy tobacco and leather notes, spiced plum and cinnamon. Initially slightly closed, it opens to reveal a dense core of rich, ripe raspberry, cherry, mint and fine, grippy tannins. The well integrated new oak adds another dimension of sweet spice and clove, giving the wine extraordinary depth. It has a very long future ahead of it indeed.

Sorì San Lorenzo is always the most powerful of Gaja's single vineyard wines, usually requiring longer to age.
The 2008 Sorì San Lorenzo has an unusually expressive nose compared with many other vintages at the same age. Orange peel, meadow flowers and a huge concentration of purple fruit lead an inviting nose, rounded off with hints of tar and mint. The palate is somewhat subdued at this stage, but there is a powerful, dense core of spice, blackcurrant, slate, tarragon and creamy oak that will no doubt prove majestic in the years to come. Fresh acidity and soft, super-ripe tannins round off this elegant and extremely complex Nebbiolo.

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