Barbaresco DOCG, Azienda Agricola Angelo Gaja, Barbaresco, 2016

Angelo Gaja has spent more than half a century redefining what Nebbiolo can become in the hands of a perfectionist. The Barbaresco, produced from a carefully edited selection of eight vineyard sites in the DOCG, is the entry to the Gaja universe and a formidable wine in its own right. The 2017 shows the estate's current philosophy: precision over power, aromatic refinement over extraction, terroir over technique. The nose unfolds gradually with nuance and expanding complexity, forest berry, powdered licorice, toasted aniseed, spearmint, dried lavender, and rosemary building a lasting bouquet of considerable depth and refinement. The palate is structured and sustained, with Nebbiolo's characteristic grip softened to the point of true elegance by the estate's careful work in vineyard and cellar.