Barbaresco, Gaja 2021

A brightly jeweled ruby hue, the 2021 Barbaresco is super-expressive, with loads of wild raspberries that leap from the glass along with notes of strawberries, pressed roses, fresh orange, and violet. As it opens, it even picks up some spice box, cigar incense, and cherry notes. Crystalline in nature and ripe, this nextlevel red delivers ripe, sweet tannins, great tension, and fresh, vibrant acidity, without any austerity. A luxury racecar, it’s fantastic and possibly the wine of the year. Drink 2025-2055.

The aromas of licorice, minerals, light tar and dark berries such as raspberry are so attractive. It’s medium-bodied with a tight and integrated palate of fine tannins that are seamless and unseen. It’s long and lively. It needs two to four years to open up. Try after 2027.

Now this is outstanding. Bright red. Extremely precise, perfumed nose of rose and violet, with piercing raspberry nuances: this is so intense and good it is almost inhebriating without actually drinking any of it. Then slightly diffuse and thin in the mouth, but with the very refined crisp floral red cherry and berry flavours that are long and clean, not to mention very fresh. No blockbuster size-wise, but very Barbaresco in style and a very pretty wine. Drinking window: 2028-2038.

The 2021 classic Barbaresco from Gaja is drop-dead gorgeous. Made with 14 estate vineyards that are vinified separately before being assembled into the final blend, it’s all about finesse, delivering sensations of juicy raspberry, red cherry, cinnamon, camphor and white pepper before a long, star anise and saline mineral close. Taut, refined tannins and bright acidity provide the age-worthy structure. Drink 2027–2036. Abv: 14%