The Gaja 2021 Langhe Gaia & Rey is a blend of Chardonnay from five hectares planted in 1979 in Treiso and five hectares in Serralunga d'Alba planted in 1989. However, the Gaja family plans to add fruit from their new property in Alta Langa to "bring out the high tones," Giovanni Gaja explains. They are waiting for the vines to get older. This wine is currently in a timid phase, although it is quite explosive in terms of mouthfeel, with bright notes of peach, citrus, and hints of crushed stone. They worked hard to achieve the creaminess of the mouthfeel and have gradually moved toward 60% botte grande and 40% smaller oak vessels (with ageing from 12 to 18 months).
Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve is very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles
Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve is very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles
The Gaja 2018 Langhe Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve is very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles.
This wine was first made in 1983, and back then, no malolactic fermentation occurred. Jump forward in time to the 2017 Langhe Gaia & Rey, and this is another vintage in which malo did not start. (Partial malolactic returns in 2018). Since those first years of production, the oak usage has also been tweaked, now with less barrique in favor of more botte grande. Thanks to these changes, the aromatic profile of this wine veers toward citrus and rich tropical fruit, especially in a warm vintage such as this. However counterintuitive, this edition also shows a very bright and precise touch of acidity that serves to give the wine balanced and mouth-cleansing salinity.
Gaja is een Italiaanse wijnmakerij in de regio Piëmont in Italië. De wijnmakerij werd in 1859 opgericht door Giovanni Gaja en produceert al meer dan 150 jaar enkele van de beste wijnen in de regio. Gaja staat vooral bekend om zijn Barolo- en Barbaresco-wijnen, maar ze produceren ook een reeks andere wijnen, waaronder Chardonnay. Gaja's Chardonnay wordt geproduceerd van druiven die groeien in de Langhe-heuvels van Piëmont. De druiven worden met de hand geoogst en gefermenteerd in roestvrijstalen tanks, voordat ze 12 maanden rijpen in Franse eikenhouten vaten. De resulterende wijn is vol en complex, met aroma's van rijp steenfruit, citrus en een vleugje eiken. In de mond is de wijn rijk en romig, met smaken van rijpe appels, peren en een vleugje kruiden. Gaja's Chardonnay is een geweldig voorbeeld van de kwaliteit en complexiteit die met deze variëteit kan worden bereikt.
Gaia & Rey is een familiebedrijf in de regio Veneto in Italië. Het wijnhuis werd opgericht in de late 19e eeuw en produceert al meer dan een eeuw enkele van de beste wijnen in de regio. Gaia & Rey staat vooral bekend om zijn Amarone- en Valpolicella-wijnen, maar ze produceren ook een reeks andere wijnen, waaronder Chardonnay. De Chardonnay van Gaia & Rey wordt geproduceerd van druiven die groeien in de heuvels van Valpolicella. De druiven worden met de hand geoogst en gefermenteerd in roestvrijstalen tanks, voordat ze 12 maanden rijpen in Franse eikenhouten vaten. De resulterende wijn is vol en complex, met aroma's van rijp steenfruit, citrus en een vleugje eiken. In de mond is de wijn rijk en romig, met smaken van rijpe appels, peren en een vleugje kruiden. De Chardonnay van Gaia & Rey is een geweldig voorbeeld van de kwaliteit en complexiteit die met deze variëteit kan worden bereikt.
Van een hete vintage, de 2015 Langhe Gaia & Rey toont een vergelijkbare excellentie als gepresenteerd in de vintage van 2013, hoewel de kenmerken anders zijn. Die wijn was direct en lineair, wat de koelere zomermaanden weerspiegelde. Deze wijn belooft echter tonischer, scherper en meer gefocust te zijn, ondanks het warmere groeiseizoen. Deze pure expressie van Chardonnay is gemaakt in een meer reductieve stijl om die nerveuze en heldere ader aan de achterkant te benadrukken. De wijnmakerij stapt over op oudere barrique (sommige zo oud als een decennium) en botte grande om minder zuurstof toe te staan bij het wijnmaken. De wijn opent naar aroma's van Golden Delicious-appel, witte perzik, wilde salie, gember en honing. Deze witte wijn toont een enorm potentieel voor verdere aromatische ontwikkeling en intensiteit.
Fresh, compelling and showing impressive definition, the Langhe Gaia & Rey is a beautiful creation and a wine that occupies a school of its own, especially considering its context that is so focused on great red wine production.
There are creeping similarities that are fun to note. Specifically, I am referring to the mouthfeel of this wine that shows sophistication, richness, and a creamy texture. It could drink well with structured foods, pork, or spicy beef tartare. The bouquet is plentiful and rich with passion fruit, melon, apricot, and toasted almond.
The wine is exuberant and generous. Given that I tasted a beautifully preserved 1996 vintage of Gaia & Rey at the same time, I feel confident in suggesting a very long drinking window.
Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve is very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles
Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve are very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles
