The 2018 Gaia & Rey offers up a whole range of tropical and orchard fruit flavors, showing an extra kick of creaminess that is surprising given the cool vintage and the decision to fully block the malolactic fermentation. Passion fruit, pastry, spice and a kick of well-judged oak build nicely in the glass. The 2018 finishes with lovely tension and energy.

The Gaja 2018 Langhe Gaia & Rey is a beautifully pure Piemontese expression of Chardonnay. It opens to a light gold/straw color with brilliant luminosity. This vintage is delicate but determined, powerful but fragile all at the same time. The bouquet is shy to start off and requires (at this young stage when I tasted the wine) ample time to aerate. Once it unwinds, the wine offers fresh citrus, orchard fruit, toasted almond and spice. Only partial malolactic fermentation is completed, so the wine's energy and inner nerve is very much intact. Flint and mineral play important supporting roles. ML