Variety: Nebbiolo
Region: Piemonte, Italy

GAJA is a revered name in Italy; and for good reason. Angelo Gaja put Barbaresco on the map, and alongside the commune of Barolo, propelled Italian wine into an entirely new sphere of quality. They are now some of the most sought-after wines on the planet, fetching often eye-watering prices due to their prestige and scarcity. The tiny town of Barbaresco grew from Angelo’s dream, and so too did Italian wine. When Angelo started work in 1961 on the family’s vineyards, no-one had heard of the region, and Italy in general was consigned to a footnote in most wine publications at the time. In Barbaresco, the soils are generally lighter than those of Barolo, and the wines are less tannic, more ethereally fragrant, with a haunting, lingering perfume that fills an entire room with ease. GAJA expanded from Barbaresco to produce wines in neighbouring Barolo, before venturing to Tuscany and crafting wines in Brunello di Montalcino and Bolgheri, the home of the Super Tuscans. Each wine is meticulously crafted, and each of these wines has a unique thumbprint that represents some of the highest quality achievable in the world.