Buy Angelo Gaja wines of Piedmont and Tuscany

The wine world has many venerable winemaking family dynasties, steeped in tradition with a passion for making the very best wines from superlative terroirs. But when this tradition meets a whirlwind prepared to challenge rules and the norms of history, the results can be very exciting indeed. So it is with Gaja.

"These are serious, aristocratic red wines of power, perfume and elegance – which may explain why. Gaja has been called the Château Petrus of Italy." Vines and Spirits

"I believe that every Piedmontese winemaker should retain, while being aware of all the latest developments in viticulture and oenology, a deep respect for the tradition and heritage of this area. I am really a traditionalist at heart." Angelo Gaja, quoted in Clive Coates, The Vine

Four generations of Gajas have presided over winemaking in Piedmont after Giovanni Gaja founded a tavern in Barbaresco in 1856. Today it is Angelo Gaja, an almost overwhelmingly energetic and brilliant man, who drives the business forward after joining it in 1961. The changes he has made since then have been fundamental. He has stopped buying in grapes to focus exclusively on estate fruit, reducing yields and identifying the best Barbaresco vineyards to create the single vineyard wines Sorì San Lorenzo in 1967, Sorì Tildìn in 1970 and Costa Russi in 1978. He has introduced small oak barrels for ageing (the wood for which he seasons himself, using a local cooperage); and, much to the horror of Giovanni, his father, planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

With subtle and careful buying over many years the Gaja family has created outstanding holdings in Barbaresco and Barolo covering 250 acres. Careful attention to the spacing of vines and their orientation, following what is best for the vineyard site rather than tradition, means that in challenging years the Gaja vines will stand apart from others around them. You can literally see it, and in the best years the quality of fruit is simply remarkable.
Despite a degree in oenology from the Institute of Alba and a masters in economics from the University of Turin in 1961, when he joined his father in the family business, Angelo was not allowed to work in the winery. Instead, he was made responsible for the vineyards, immediately taking the decision to dramatically reduce yields by as much as half – a policy which naturally continues today.

As one would expect for wines of this quality harvesting is done by hand with acute care taken to ensure that the fruit reaches the winery in perfect condition. Ruthless decision making, such as the decision in 2002 (a dilute and difficult year in Piedmont) to declassify the total crop and sell it in bulk, illustrates this well.
All wines are fermented in stainless steel, with the reds seeing varying degrees of skin contact depending on the wine and the year. Ageing starts in small French oak barrels, a tactic developed by Angelo when he took responsibility for the winemaking in 1969, and moves to large oak casks for all but the whites and Sito Moresco.
Angelo regards the traditional requirements that must be observed for inclusion of a wine in the legal DOC or DOCG quality standards, as a cage and an impediment to his policy of seeking perfection. Thus the majority of Gaja wines are named according to the vineyard rather than the DOG or DOCG. That Costa Russi is basically Barbaresco and Sperss basically Barolo is something that must simply be remembered

"What I learned from my father’s decision to send me into the vineyards was immense", mentioned Angelo. "Not only is the quality of fruit far and away the single most important factor affecting the standard of the wine. But I discovered and began to appreciate the multiplicity of terroirs and microclimates in Barbaresco." Angelo Gaja, quoted in Clive Coates The Vine

Angelo had long contemplated a project in Bolgheri in the Upper Maremma, on the Mediterranean coast south of Pisa. With typical attention to detail, he researched the best sites. He set out to convince the then owners of the one he preferred, an olive grove and fruit orchard with a small number of vines, to sell their estate to him. That the winery’s name is Piedmontese for "house of endless negotiations" tells the story, but what happened once Angelo succeeded in winning them over is amazing.

In conjunction with the architect, Giovanni Bo, Angelo has masterminded one of the finest wineries to be built in recent times – from both an aesthetic and a practical point of view. The visible portions of the winery have been clad in the stone recovered during the excavations of the cellars, and the slopes which cover the bulk of the building have been transformed into olive groves by the transplanting of 150 year old trees. The overall effect is of a building that is rooted in the landscape and yet is dramatically contemporary. The brilliance of the interior makes an even greater impact as a result

The vineyard area is characterised by two distinct soil types – a red soil which contains more loam and clay, and a whiter soil, where there is more limestone and deposits of bright white stones. These soil types, when combined with the warm day time maritime climate and cool evenings, provide the perfect conditions for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and even more recently Syrah.

From the extensive research Angelo had undertaken, he was able to pinpoint plantings by variety, best suiting the soil type and micro climatic conditions. The first vintage in 2000 was encouraging, but as the vines have become more established and Angelo and the winemaking team more familiar with the site, the results are nothing short of dramatic. In 2004 the estate came of age and progress since is exciting. Today, Ca’Marcanda has rightly established a reputation as one of the leading estates in Bolgheri.

"Angelo Gaja has that high-octane mix of flair, dynamism and self-belief that you associate with top designer firms." Richard Baudain Decanter

Though most of the buildings in this little hamlet date from the 13th century, the tiny church (pieve) of Santa Restituta has its origins as far back as the 4th Century. The farm that surrounds it occupies some of the finest terroir of Montalcino, to the south west of the town. Angelo Gaja bought a controlling interest in this 16 hectare estate in 1994, since when all his energy has been brought to bear on what had been hitherto an underperforming winery, albeit one making a wine as famous as Brunello.

Located some 350 metres above sea level, with a gentle south-west exposure and clay rich, pebbly soils, this estate always had the potential to be one of the finest in the region. Now in the right hands, that potential is being fulfilled. All 16 hectares are under vine in four plots, of which Sugarille is the oldest. Rennina is a blend of the 3 remaining. The two wines are each aged in French barriques in their first year, of which up to 30% are new, with a second year in larger oak casks followed by 2 years bottle ageing before release. Angelo has imposed exacting standards with drastically reduced vineyard yields and stricter selection processes. This is exemplified by the fact that the 2002 and 2003 vintages were declassified, in full.

"A legend in his own lifetime." Nick Belfrage Barolo to Valpolicella The Wines of Northern Italy

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