Gaja - Barbaresco Costa Russi 2013
Gaja Description
The Gaja Winery was founded by Giovanni Gaja in 1859 and has been owned and operated by five generations of the Gaja family. Giovanni Gaja was the great-grandfather of Angelo Gaja, the Winery's current owner.
In 1994, GAJA acquired its first wine estate in Tuscany, Pieve Santa Restituta in Montalcino. This estate produces three Brunello di Montalcino wines- including the single vineyard Sugarille- from vineyard holdings totaling sixty five acres.
In 1996 Gaja acquired a second property in Tuscany, Ca'Marcanda, located in Castagneto Carducci in Bolgheri. Of the property's 200 acres, 150 have been planted with new vineyards: primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as Cabernet Franc and Syrah.
Currently, the Gaja Winery owns 250 acres of vineyards in Piedmont, located in the Barbaresco district (Barbaresco and Treiso) and the Barolo district (Serralunga d'Alba and La Morra).
Since its inception, the Gaja Winery has continuously evolved in ways that have always focused on meticulous care of and attention to the quality of its wines.
Costa means slope in Italian and is often used in the names of vineyard designated wines. In wine-growing parlance, it denotes the side of a hill that faces the sun. Russi was the nickname of the previous estate owner, who oversaw the vineyard management of this historic and privileged growing site. This 10-acre vineyard which lies in the township of Barbaresco was purchased in the winery's 1967 expansion of its vineyard holdings. GAJA's Costa Russi is known for the elegance and refinement of its aromatic character and like its single-vineyard counterparts, will age gracefully for 40 years of more in outstanding vintages.
COLOR: Dark ruby/purple.
AROMA: Floral and spicy notes of rose, green tea, chestnut honey and fresh hay.
TASTE: On the palate the wine is less concentrated than in the other two single vineyards, but the tannic structure is finer - with subtle flavors of red orange and pomegranate.
James Suckling: 98 Points
Medium ruby color. The class, strength and finesse to this wine are ever present with berry, dark-chocolate and walnut character. Full-bodied, dense and chewy. Very fresh. Chocolate, mango and ripe-strawberry flavors herald a bright finish. Needs four or five years to soften. Classic tannins. Better in 2021.
Vinous Media: 98 Points
The 2013 Barbaresco Costa Russi is a real head-turner. Crystalline and utterly vivid in its expression of Nebbiolo, the 2013 is all class. Stylistically, the Costa Russi is closest to the straight Barbaresco, but it has a little more mid-palate sweetness and density. Bright floral and minty notes add lift on the chiseled, expressive finish. The Costa Russi is the star of the show this year, considering it is the least pedigreed of Gaja's three single-vineyard sites. The 2013 has been stunningly beautiful on the three occasions I have tasted it so far.
-- Antonio Galloni
