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Country: | Italy |
Region: | Piemonte |
Winery: | Gaja |
Grape Type: | Sauvignon Blanc |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Gaja Alteni di Brassica Sauvignon Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Fresh and floral, featuring a sleek note of white flowers: jasmine, acacia and lily. Tomato leaf, combined with sage and pink grapefruit, lead the way for a juicy display of mango, papaya and passion fruit.
Alteni di Brassica has a powerful style and a rich bouquet. A vivid structure with bright acidity, yet it displays a mineral accent on the mid-palate. The finish is long, sweet and focused.
Review:
The 2019 Alteni di Brassica is bright, focused and full of energy. Sage, mint, tomato leaf ‘and a whole range of varietal accents lend vibrancy to this beautifully sculpted, phenolic in feel Sauvignon from the Gaja family. The 2019 was fermented and aged in a combination of steel and cask, with no racking until bottling. | especially admire the precision here.
-Antonio Galloni Vinous 94 Points
Located in Piedmont in northwestern Italy, the GAJA winery is widely considered to be one of the greatest estates in the world, producing coveted and collectible labels. From its classic Barbaresco and Barolo and its single-vineyard bottling, to its ground-breaking Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, GAJA is a pioneer and guardian of tradition, a legacy that continues to reshape the standard for excellence in the world of winemaking today.
Gaja Darmagi Cabernet is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Angelo Gaja forever changed the world’s notion of Piedmont wines when he released this historic wine for the first time in 1985 (with the 1982 vintage), made from Bordeaux varietals planted in the township of Barbaresco. According to the often told legend, Angelo Gaja’sfather exclaimed “darmagi!” upon learning that his son had planted Cabernet Sauvignon in vineyards previously devoted to Piedmont’s traditional Nebbiolo grape. Akin to the French quel dommage, the Piedmontese expression darmagi means what a pity! Or what a shame!. With his characteristic respect for tradition and those who came before him, the younger Gaja decided to call this wine Darmagi, a homage to his family’s legacy with an eye toward the future.
Review:
You'll find more dark fruit and more freshness here than in many of the other offerings from Gaja, with a dark, deep inky appearance. The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Darmagi is a 100% expression of the grape, whereas past editions saw tiny parts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The fruit comes from a 2.5-hectare vineyard planted in 1978 directly under the town of Barbaresco, setting the stage for an elegant rendition of Cabernet Sauvignon with a fresh and contained style. The wine shows a nice balance between the extraction you get from the grape skins and the rich succulence you get from the pulp inside the berries. In the 2017, you taste more of the skins, and in the 2018, Gaia Gaja comments, you taste more of the pulp. The 2016 offers both, countering each other with precision. Whole grapes are pressed very gently, and the wine is aged in oak for 18 months, with less emphasis on new oak now. In fact, only 30% of the total sees new oak, and a greater percentage of the wine goes into large oak casks instead.
- Wine Advocate 95 Points
Cardinale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot.
Super structured and with minerality to spare, this Cabernet Sauvignon offers a real presence on the palate from start to finish. Generous notes of dark chocolate balance beautifully with a blue and black fruit flavor explosion, finishing with a subtle whisper of rose petal.
Reviews:
- James Suckling 98 Points
Rileys Rows Sauvignon Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Sourced from the Redwood Valley Grape Ranch Dad farms in Mendocino my sauvignon blanc is consistently a light and approachable wine with great acidity. I get notes of ruby red grapefruit and meyer lemon.
Torn Sauvignon Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
The wine offers upfront tropical fruit aromas balanced by a distinct minerality and crisp acidity.
Gaja Darmagi Cabernet is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
Angelo Gaja forever changed the world’s notion of Piedmont wines when he released this historic wine for the first time in 1985 (with the 1982 vintage), made from Bordeaux varietals planted in the township of Barbaresco. According to the often told legend, Angelo Gaja’sfather exclaimed “darmagi!” upon learning that his son had planted Cabernet Sauvignon in vineyards previously devoted to Piedmont’s traditional Nebbiolo grape. Akin to the French quel dommage, the Piedmontese expression darmagi means what a pity! Or what a shame!. With his characteristic respect for tradition and those who came before him, the younger Gaja decided to call this wine Darmagi, a homage to his family’s legacy with an eye toward the future.
Review:
You'll find more dark fruit and more freshness here than in many of the other offerings from Gaja, with a dark, deep inky appearance. The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Darmagi is a 100% expression of the grape, whereas past editions saw tiny parts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The fruit comes from a 2.5-hectare vineyard planted in 1978 directly under the town of Barbaresco, setting the stage for an elegant rendition of Cabernet Sauvignon with a fresh and contained style. The wine shows a nice balance between the extraction you get from the grape skins and the rich succulence you get from the pulp inside the berries. In the 2017, you taste more of the skins, and in the 2018, Gaia Gaja comments, you taste more of the pulp. The 2016 offers both, countering each other with precision. Whole grapes are pressed very gently, and the wine is aged in oak for 18 months, with less emphasis on new oak now. In fact, only 30% of the total sees new oak, and a greater percentage of the wine goes into large oak casks instead.
- Wine Advocate 95 Points
Gaja Sito Moresco Rosso Langhe is made from 35% Nebbiolo, 25% Merlot, 25% Barbera, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Sito Moresco is named for the family who farmed this 25-acre estate in Barbaresco before its purchase by the Gaja family, a nod to the people and traditions that preceded it. It means literally the Moresco site, after the family name of Giovannini Moresco. GAJA created this red blend to deliver greater approachability in its youth. Sito Moresco is made from vineyards located in the villages of Treiso and Barbaresco (in the Barbaresco appellation) and fruit from Serralunga d’Alba (in the Barolo appellation). Pheasants are featured on Sito Moresco's label to commemorate the beautiful birds that inhabit the forests adjacent to GAJA's vineyards. Concentration of fruit, structure and acidity are the highlights of the vintage.
Lismore Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
As with all Lismore wines, balance is the key. The bracing acidity that is customary in new world Sauvignons has been brought into balance with a carefully chosen pick date and the barrel and egg fermentation and maturation. A full bodied, balanced wine was the goal.
Barrel fermentation and extended lees contact contribute to this full bodied, elegant and well balanced wine. Floral notes of passion flower and fynbos, granadilla, guava, gooseberry and pear on the palate along with an underlying minerality which gives this unique terroir driven wine its signature.
Wine Made in the Soil
The grapes come from 50% Lismore’s Greyton vineyards which are planted on East/Southeast facing slopes at 320 meters in the foothills of the Sonderend Mountain Range. The soils are deep decomposed shale. The other 50% comes from a vineyard in Stanford which overlooks Walker Bay on sandstone soils.
Reviews:
"The 2020 Sauvignon Blanc Barrel Fermented was from donated Stellenbosch, Helderberg, Elgin fruit and a little from Greyton (thus WO Western Cape). This was made in a similar style, oxidatively in barrels, at Almenkerk but obviously has a very different terroir expression than the usual Cape South Coast fruit. The fresh, saline, sea-spray-scented bouquet gradually unfurls with aeration in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a grassy, white asparagus and ginger-tinged opening, crisp acidity and a racy but composed finish where you would be hard pressed to detect the barrel ferment, it is so discreet. Superb. - Neal Martin"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (November 2021), 92 pts
"Made with a combination of 30% Greyton grapes and parcels donated by friends and colleagues after the fire at Lismore in 2019, this Western Cape Sauvignon Blanc has subtle wood top notes, taut, herbal grapefruit and wet stone flavours and a nip of skin tannins. 2021-24"
- Tim Atkin, South Africa Report 2021, 92 pts
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The “Vintners Collection” gift boxes includes all six of Long Shadows’ acclaimed red wines packaged together in a beautifully branded wood box. Each of these wines were inspired and crafted by a world-renowned vintner to showcase the viticultural quality and caliber of Washington state’s Columbia Valley:
Pirouette: Philippe Melka (Vineyard 29, Lail, Hundred Acre) & Agustin Huneeus, Sr.(Quintessa)
Feather Cabernet Sauvignon: Randy Dunn (Dunn Vineyards)
Pedestal Merlot: Michel Rolland (International Wine Consultant)
Chester-Kidder: Allen Shoup (Chateau Ste. Michelle, CEO) & Gilles Nicault (Woodward Canyon)
Sequel Syrah: John Duval (Penfolds Grange, Plexus, Entity)
Saggi: Ambrogio & Giovanni Folonari (A & G Folonari Tenute, Tuscany)
Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is made from Roussanne (43%), Clairette (30%), Grenache Blanc (25%), Bourboulenc (2%).
Château La Nerthe is one of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and dates from 1560. Château La Nerthe has 220 acres of vineyards that surround the château. These grapes are grown in loamy, sandy soils near a wood and one of the few natural springs of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, creating a microclimate that is warm during the day but cool at night. This microclimate creates white wines with strong personality. Grapes are hand-harvested early in the morning to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and sorting removes any imperfect fruit. All the grapes are pressed in a pneumatic press for 3 hours and then racked after 24 hours to begin low-temperature fermentation. The Roussanne and Grenache are fermented in French oak barrels and demi-muids, and the Clairette and Bourboulenc are fermented partly in demi-muids and partly in stainless st/eel tanks. The wine ages on fine lees for almost 9 months. The final blending takes place shortly before bottling.
Review:
While 2021 is a good to great vintage for the whites of the Southern Rhône, I was blown away by the quality from Château La Nerthe. These are easily the finest whites I’ve tasted from this estate, and readers should jump on these wines. While no 2021 reds were presented, the 2020s showed beautifully and illustrated the classic, balanced, elegant style of the vintage.
The classic cuvée is the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc, which is based on 43% Roussanne, 30% Clairette, 25% Grenache Blanc, and 2% Bourboulenc. It's brilliant stuff, offering lots of bright lemon and pineapple-like fruits as well as white flowers, honeysuckle, and a kiss of chalky minerality. Beautiful on the palate as well, it's medium to full-bodied, with integrated acidity and just flawless balance. It ranks with the finest whites in the vintage and is well worth seeking out. It should have over a decade of prime drinking, although there's no need to delay gratification.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points