The producer
The Gaja estate was founded in 1859 and is thus the oldest house in the denomination. Fourth generation, Angelo Gaja, who took the reins in 1961 at the age of 21, is widely known as being at the forefront of innovation in the region, and has a huge share of the reason that the region has become so famous, the wines so respected, and especially as a serious fine wine and investment object. Gaja was a pioneer of single vineyard bottlings, in the region, his ‘sori’ bottlings first appearing in 1970 from the 1967 vintage. He was amongst the first to age his Nebbiolo in French oak barriques in the late 1970s, around which time he was also the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in his vineyards.
He is also famous for being one of the first to green harvest in the vineyard (i.e., sacrificing some of the grape yield in order to concentrate what is left on the vine) and for short pruning, also in an effort to lower yields. Famously, in 1996, Gaja pulled his single vineyard Barbarescos out of the Barbaresco DOCG, and his single vineyard Barolo Sperrs out of the Barolo DOCG, and put all of them into the Langhe DOC - it was widely considered at the time that this was done in an effort to have more winemaking/grape blending freedom, seeing as Langhe DOC regulations may have been considered more loose, than those of Barolo and Barbaresco DOCG.
However, in 2013, all the single vineyard wines were returned to the Barbaresco and Barolo DOCGs and are thus today all made from 100% Nebbiolo as the regulations stipulate. Gaja is also known for being at the forefront of using less chemicals in the vineyard, and constantly searching for ways of making the vineyard eco system more self-sustainable. Two such vineyards are “Sperss” and “Conteisa”.
The wine
Fruit for Gaja’s Conteisa cuvee is derived from the family’s 6-hectare plot, of 65-year-old-vines, in the eponymous Conteisa vineyard in Cerequio in the La Morra part of Barolo. The soil is clay-calcareous marl, and the vineyard is south facing at around 380 metres altitude. Fermentation and maceration last for 3 weeks and is followed by ageing in oak barrels for 30 months. Conteisa is floral and fragrant with powerful, red cherry and berry fruit concentration, tannins are fine and polished, and the finish lifted and refreshing.
