This year we pleased to be able to offer Gaja’s famed Brunello wines. I visited the small Pieve Santa Restituta estate in 2010 on a tour of leading Brunello producers (see images HERE if you are interested – last four are from Gaja). The wines are beautifully made, very ‘Gaja’ in their make-up, by that I mean intense without being heavy, super-silky tannins and excellent use of very fine grain oak barriques. Of all the estates I visited in ’09, Gaja struck me as the most international in their outlook and quite possibly those that would demand the longest cellaring time before they truly release their real quality. There are just three wines. A twin site Brunello with vines grown around the Church and in the North East of the region and then two ‘Grand Cru’ single vineyard wines in the shape of Rennina and Sugarille. All fruit, of course, is from Gaja owned and managed land.
Prices include VAT & Duty. Underbond pricing POA as usual.
Regards
Ed Wells
Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta
Brunello di Montalcino 2007
The quality of Angelo Gaja's Brunelli are beyond question, and the 2007 vintage is superlative. His wines from Pieve Santa Restituta are incredibly elegant with attractive aromas, concentrated flavours and the capacity to age for many years.
The 2007 Vintage
The 2007s have a similar intensity and aromatic profile to the excellent 2006s but they are more opulent and seductive. This is combined with exceptional freshness and great length, a level of quality which Angelo compares to the highly rated 2001 and 2004 vintages
Now widely acknowledged as one of the greatest vintages in recent years, 2007 saw a warm, dry winter followed by a warm spring and summer with a particularly hot month of July. Fortunately lower temperatures in August slowed the development of the vines and allowed them to work evenly throughout the entire growing season yielding beautifully ripe and healthy grapes. Harvest started at Pieve Santa Restituta on September 20th and ended on October 1st under perfect climate conditions.
A highly rated vintage, we anticipate strong demand for these exciting wines but yields were lower than normal in 2007 so quantities are limited. will be open until the end of February only so please contact us as soon as possible to secure these rare wines for your cellar.
Prices include VAT & Duty. Underbond pricing POA as usual.
Brunello di Montalcino 2007
This classic Brunello di Montalcino has only been made since 2005 and is a perfect way to explore the delights of Gaja's Brunellos. Along with fruit from the Sugarille and Rennina vineyards, the 2007 vintage includes grapes from a vineyard in the north east of the appellation, an area characterised by strong winds and significant temperature variations between day and night which creates very elegant wines.The 2007 is rich and ripe on the nose with dark cherry and bramble fruit characters and a hint of liquorice, spice and cedar wood. The palate is full of smooth, dark fruits with notes of dried herbs and spices in the background. The tannins are elegant, refined and harmonious, balanced by a refreshing acidity. Elegant and attractive, this wine will be delicious to drink from release and over the next 5 to 10 years.
From £37.35...
Rennina 2007, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
"The nose is wonderful, with rose petals and dark fruits and hints of sandalwood. Full-bodied, with super silky tannins and a chewy finish. Give this until 2015 to soften and show you what it really has." James Suckling, 94 points
Named after the vineyards immediately surrounding Pieve Santa Restituta, Gaja's Rennina is produced from lime rich soils which combined with a southwest exposure and breezes from the west create perfect conditions for producing powerful and complex wines. Restrained at first, the 2007 Rennina opens out to reveal layers of dark, brooding black cherry fruit with notes of sweet spices, figs and tobacco. The palate is powerful and ripe, with dark, juicy, brambly flavours all perfectly balanced by firm, broad tannins and a lively acidity. This is an impressively concentrated wine with great depths of complex, elegant fruit. It will be delicious to drink in a few years and will mature well for 20 years or more.
From £81.00...
Sugarille 2007, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
"Aromas of dried berries and chocolate follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and a lot of fruit. Balanced and delicious. Impressive wine that shows superb depth of fruit." James Suckling, 95 points
The deep, white soils of the Sugarille vineyard are very different from the rest of the estate. They are rich in calcareous clay but very stony and poor in nutrients. This is combined with excellent drainage, a south-western exposure and perfect ventilation which creates the ideal conditions for long lived, structured wines. The 2007 Sugarille is a wonderful expression of this magnificent terroir. Elegant and complex with superb definition and length, it has a bouquet which is refined and enveloping with notes of wild berries and hints of sweet herbs and subtle spices. The complex, velvety palate has a heady core of rich, red cherry fruit, balanced by incredibly fine, perfectly integrated tannins and a refreshing, crisp acidity. Complex, mineral notes give great definition and style on the finish. This wine will be delicious in a few years but it will continue to develop in complexity for at least 25 years.
From £89.10...
Contact us by email to enquire or place an order.
Best
Ed Wells