Barbaresco Costa Russi Gaja 2016

The "Costa Russi" Barbaresco is an emblematic label of Angelo Gaja, the interpretation of an exclusive terroir according to an intimately personal and absolutely original vision, which entered the appellation only starting with the 2013 vintage. The winery, which is an unabashedly innovative way has challenged a production system rooted in the historic Langa tradition, presents here a pure Nebbiolo composed of power and evolution, one of those wines to be indulged in once in a lifetime.

"Costa Russi" originates from the parcel of the same name that Angelo Gaja impeccably tends within one of the prestigious Additional Geographical Mentions that extend over the territory of the municipality of Barbaresco. The Roncagliette cru is vast and complex, of rare and difficult interpretation, yet absolutely esteemed and highly vocated, located south of the town and on the border with the Tanaro Valley. The west coast, i.e., the hillside sloping down to the river, with southern exposure and an average altitude of 230 meters above sea level, took its name from the former owner of the land, known precisely as "the Russi": an area of just under 4 1/2 hectares characterized by the blue-grey marls of Sant'Agata Fossili, a homogeneous sandy formation up to 400 meters deep and derived from the uplift of the ancient seabed between 8 and 12 million years ago. The vines, which have staggered to the venerable age of 65 years, are harvested by hand, and the bunches are selected as early as the picking stage. The winemaking stages involve patient oak participation: after a 12-month maturation in barrique, the Nebbiolo ages for an additional 12 months in large barrels.

Gaja's "Costa Russi" presents an intense garnet colour with bright orange reflections. Intriguing and complex on the nose, it offers variegated dark fruit and floral sensations, between blackberry, plum and violet, with more acidic touches of red berries, to then open a toasty range of hints of coffee powder and chocolate, enhanced by balsamic menthol notes. The sip is full-bodied and full-bodied yet of an inexhaustible mineral refinement, accompanied by lively tannins and a soft tendency elegantly supported by continued freshness. Endless persistence, like the idea of its evolution.