Gaja's 2019 Barbaresco is gorgeous. Bright and nervy, with fabulous balance, the 2019 captures all the best this tricky vintage had to offer. Gaja did not bottle any other Barbaresco crus, opting to use the best lots for this bottling. That decision paid off in a 2019 that sizzles with tension. The aromatics alone are captivating. Bright acids lend vibrancy to a core of beautifully delineated Nebbiolo fruit. I can't wait to see how this ages. Oct 2022

This has aromas of iron, mineral, bitter chocolate, wild strawberries, raw walnuts, orange peel and decayed roses. Medium- to full-bodied, with sleek and very chalky tannins. Lots of fruit on the palate with a fine, fresh and mineral end. Pure and linear. Try in 2025. July 2023

Gaja's 2019 Barbaresco was bottled only a few days before this tasting but it already has sweet roses and red fruits on the nose with very subtle, gentle spice notes. It has a great texture and flows gracefully across the palate. It feels very harmonious with plenty of refreshing acidity and finely integrated tannins. Sublimely elegant with a fine, silt-like texture to the tannins, it is poised, beautifully understated and charming. Keep for 2 years and drink for up to 20 plus. Susan Hulme MW July 2022 - The Wine Independent

Gaja did not make its cru wines from Barbaresco (like Sorì San Lorenzo) in 2019 because the vineyards suffered repercussions one year after severe hail storms struck in 2018. Because of the irregularity found across the various sites, the best fruit was carefully selected and put into this wine instead. The 2019 Barbaresco is striking and beautiful as a result, with enormous depth and clarity. This is a generous wine with ample structure, lots of vibrant acidity, sweet tannins and a bright core of primary fruit. Gaia Gaja tells me that she considers 2018 to be more structured and vertical; however, but I love the richness and texture of this wine.

A complex red, this reveals multidimensional aromas and flavors of rose, cherry, licorice, mineral and spices. This is fused to a vibrant structure that, for now, gives a taut, almost racy profile. Marrying power and grace, this ends in a long, floral- and spice-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2026 through 2045. BS

Lightish bricky red. Seductive as the first signs of mature aromas open up. Fresh and dried red cherry, a touch of orange and so scented with a lovely earthy/mineral touch. On the palate, dry, tight, scented with those same red fruits. There's also herbal quality, making it even tighter and fresher. Super-fine, subtle and persistent. (JH)

Full bottle 1,420 g. Palish ruby. Taut, savoury, minerally nose with an undertow of spice and brooding raspberry. Elegant, dry raspberry fruit that is still a little embryonic and rich, coating, gorgeous, tactile tannins. Great balance and purity of fruit, but not ready yet. (WS)