The Wines of Angelo Gaja

Simply put, Angelo Gaja, is one of the best winemakers in the world, and is often considered to be the best winemaker that Italy has ever produced.

I have known these wines for about fifteen years and rate them as some of the best I've ever been lucky enough to drink.

Gaja is famed for his wines made in the Piemonte communes of Barolo and Barbaresco, which is where he lives, but in the 1990s, he branched out into Tuscany.

The wines are definitely pricey and don't always conform to the local way of doing things (two of his famed ex-Barolos are just that because they break the law, but no one complains...). Delicious, yes. Legendary, yes; but aloof? Never.

I have four of Gaja's wines, at the moment, but not too much volume, with two from Piemonte, and two from Tuscany.

Gaja Ca’Marcanda ‘Promis’

An incredible wine, and a blend of Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese. It's located not in Chianti, but in the Maremma coast land beside the town of Bolgheri. The neighbours of the estate, called Ca' Marcanda, are Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Kind of proves that the estate agents were earning their keep! This is the wine that comes with a guaranteed smile on the face of those who drink it 😀

Gaja, Sito Moresco

Made in Gaja's native Piemonte, the grapes grown in the estate farmed by the Moresco family, hence the name. It's located in the commune of Barbaresco in the tiny village of Treiso. It's a blend of 50% Nebbiolo, 40% Barbera and 10% Merlot. A gorgeous, complex wine and never too heavy or overpowering.

Gaja, Magari

This is a Super-Tuscan worthy of its price and classification.

Absolutely delicious, structured, rich, profound and age-worthy. A Bordeaux blend in varieties but quintessentially Tuscan in execution and flavour. Cabernet Franc (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Petit Verdot (10%); it's structured and expressive in a different way to the estate's very popular Promis.

The appellation is Bolgheri and this bottle sits very comfortably at the table with this region's other star offerings from estates such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia.

Gaja, Barbaresco

One of the most iconic wines of the world from one of the best vintages in living memory.

It is a remarkable achievement of Gaja's that the demand for this wine grows year after year, as the quality, which was always stellar, has steadily grown in parallel. This wine is the centrepiece of Gaja's wine range and is the beating heart of his native Piemonte.