Barbaresco DOP 2017 Gaja

The Gaja 2017 Barbaresco is nuanced and delicate with ever-expanding aromatic intensity that amply fills the balloon of your glass. The wine takes a little while to open fully, and it slowly releases forest berry, powdered licorice, toasted aniseed, spearmint, dried lavender and rosemary essence to build a lasting bouquet. The mouthfeel is streamlined and almost steely, with an extremely linear approach that adds to its length and persistency. The tannins are tucked into the wine's delicate fiber, but you do feel the extra textural firmness of the hot vintage nonetheless. As we have seen in past vintages, more definition is added by a pretty mineral note that is a common thread in these wines from Gaja. Production is 38,000 bottles.

Glorious aromas of flowers, crushed berries, strawberries and dried herbs. Some tea. Full-bodied and layered with a wonderfully curated, polished tannin structure and backbone. Give it three or four years to soften. Try after 2023.

Sleek and dense, this red offers earthy, woodsy accents framing its cherry and berry essence. Tar and eucalyptus elements emerge and play out on the long finish. Best from 2023 through 2037.

The 2017 Barbaresco is a gorgeous example of the year. Sweet, perfumed and light on its feet, the 2017 offers an intriguing mélange of cedar, pipe tobacco, dried cherry, mint and incense nuances, with terrific freshness and the slightly nervous edge that runs through all of these wines.