Gaja Sperss 2013

Drink now through to 2040. Decant 2 hours before serving.

The legendary Angelo Gaja's romance with wine began in 1970 when he took over the family winey which had been founded back in 1859. The fourth male Gaja to run the winery, Angelo took over the reins with ambitious mission to produce wines truly worthy of the noble Nebbiolo grape and Barbaresco and Barolo terroir. His dream was to create Italian wines that would be at least the equal of those produced in the famed French regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux.

He started by replanting many of his family's vines and purchased temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to allow greater command over the winemaking process. Angelo also controversially introduced the use of small oak barrels for ageing the wines, drawing inspiration from winemakers in Bordeaux and California, at a time when many Piedmont producers were still very attached to their vast chestnut casks known as botti.

With a personality almost as big as the legendary winemaker behind it, Sperss is one of the finest products of Angelo's visionary innovations. The wine opens with heady aromas of wild blackberries, cassis and sunbaked earth, while the first sip reveals power and concentration carefully balanced by refreshing acidity. On the palate the flavours are incredibly complex and intense, with hints of dried herbs and lavender mingling with rich tobacco, licorice and truffles. This is a Barolo that demands a truly luxurious meal to accompany it, like the Piedmont classic of creamy risotto finished with lavish shavings of fresh white truffle.