2005 was an interesting vintage climatically as it split Italy in two. To the East of the Appenines, and even right down to the south in Puglia, there was significant rain and variability. However, this did not apply, in general, to the Western half of the country, and most importantly in Piedmont.

The key elements to the Piedmont harvest were the warm, dry and bright summer without excess heat. Flowering took place in fair conditions but the fruit set was reduced, leading to an eventual fall in volume of 24% against the more abundant 2004 vintage. Angelo Gaja made particular mention of the “perfect luminosity” throughout the summer months and as a result the vegetative cycle was extremely regular, allowing an early ripening to take place. September brought early showers but these acted more as a refresher than a threat to the vines. The harvest was conducted quickly thanks to the even ripening throughout the vineyards and the last Nebbiolo was brought in by the first week in October, after which the weather did very much take a turn for the worse.

From the start, the wines have shown a very pure and expressive fruit character with rich, ripe and supple tannins. Offering immediate appeal and true terroir character and above all, for Angelo, “elegance”, the wines have very good structure, sustained by firm levels of ripe acidity, bold fruit flavours and an overall charm and fine balance. The level of concentration is deceptive and there is no doubt that these wines are of very fine quality, with great potential for medium term aging and drinking but at the same time we anticipate them to remain expressive throughout their life. When pushed to compare, Angelo felt there were strong similarities with the 1988 and 1978 vintages.

Nick Adams MW

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