By Mitch Frank // photographs by Andrea Wyner

wice a week, Angelo Gaja leaves his house in the hilltop town of Barbaresco at 4:30 a.m., climbs into his black Audi A6 and heads for the highway. It’s the be- ginning of a 250-mile trek. He’ll stop once for coffee and a pastry, and then drive on until he arrives at one of his two wineries in Tuscany.

Gaja says he likes to make the trip in the early hours of morning seated, he appears to be in motion. Electricity seems to crackle in because the road is largely empty, he can think and he can drive fast. his pale blue eyes. Gaja drives very fast. For most people, it takes four to five hours to And at 71, he still dreams big, but also manages to focus on all drive from Barbaresco to central Tuscany. Gaja does it in three. the minute details needed to make those dreams reality. Leading At 71 years old, he shows no signs of slowing down. He walks visitors around his winery in Barbaresco, he can’t help himself when quickly and always with purpose, leaving men half his age strug- he sees something amiss. “Excuse me,” he says mid-sentence, and gling to keep up. He speaks rapidly, whether in Italian, English or calls a staff member to report that an electrical socket cover is miss- his native Piedmontese dialect. No matter what language he speaks, ing and must be fixed. While he’s on the phone, he mentions that he gestures in Italian—waving his hands, gripping the table, punc- he’s not thrilled with the glassware arrayed for a tasting flight. tuating statements by slicing the air with one finger. Even when You might suspect that his boundless energy would make Gaja

40 Wine Spectator • OCT. 31, 2011 OCT.OCT . 31, 31, 2011 2011 • Wine SpeSpectatorctator 41 exhausting to be around; however, his enthusiasm is infectious and focusing on international varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet his energy has a purpose. For 50 years he has used it to produce Sauvignon. outstanding wines. In the process, he has helped change the global Gaja’s success has put the spotlight squarely on him, but he re- image of Italian wine. jects the superhero image. “Because I traveled so much for my In 1961, when the young Gaja took the reins at his family win- wines, people began to think Gaja is Angelo Gaja,” he says. “This ery, Italian wine was mostly cheap, often enjoyable, but rarely se- is not right.” rious. He was at the forefront of a new generation of winemakers Despite its global reach, the Gaja company is a classic Italian in Italy that both improved quality by questioning the old tech- family winery. Angelo is the fourth generation in a family of wine niques and improved sales by convincing the world that these new producers, and his ambition is a family trait. His grandmother, who Italian wines deserved respect. managed the winery for almost 60 years, was legendary in Bar- “Angelo’s wines have had a great impact on Italy,” says Lamberto baresco for her discipline and devotion to quality. When Angelo Frescobaldi, whose family has made wine in Tuscany for 700 years. was a boy, she pushed him to learn the family business, telling him “Not an impact on style, but on complexity, on wines making a that a career in wine would bring him “money, hope and glory.” statement. Wine has to make an impression on people’s minds. Ambition, energy, devotion—these are in Gaja’s genes. And he Angelo has given many of us that vision.” is teaching those qualities to a fifth generation of Gajas. His two Other winemakers shared that vision, in places like Barolo, Mon- daughters, Gaia and Rossana, now work with him and his wife, talcino, Bolgheri and more, but Lucia, in the family business. Gaia, Gaja made the biggest splash. For the eldest, is gradually becoming decades, he did the grunt work, gaja’s enthusiasm is infec- the new public face of Gaja wines visiting restaurants and retailers tious and his energy has a in overseas markets. Angelo’s son, in new markets, first in Europe, Giovanni, just 18, may be joining then in America and Asia. He purpose. for 50 years he the company soon. was always eager to meet people has used it to produce out- At the end of the day, this win- face to face—sommeliers, import- ery, known for challenging the ers, consumers—and he almost standing wine. in the pro- rules, is built on a foundation of always made an impression. cess, he has helped change family tradition. For Angelo But Gaja’s success isn’t just in the image of italian wine. Gaja, life has always been per la salesmanship. He is constantly famiglia. thinking about new ideas to try in the vineyard and in the cellar, challenging tradition to improve quality, from cutting yields to exercising stricter temperature con- A woman like that— trol of fermentations to handling Nebbiolo’s legendary tannins a hurricane more gently to aging his wines in French oak barriques. He also The town of Barbaresco is easy to spot on the drive from Alba. planted international varietals in Barbaresco. Not every idea proved Perched atop a cliff that rises straight up from the Tanaro river, a home run, but he was always willing to try. the village is topped by a 120-foot-high medieval tower, part of a “Why is he who he is? Because he is a gifted, talented winemaker, network of sentry posts that warned of invaders. Scholars believe he is a smart businessman and also a very gracious host,” says Aldo Barbaresco’s name comes from the word barbareschi, or barbarians, Vacca, director of the Produttori del Barbaresco, who worked for referring to the invading hordes that once occupied this high Gaja for five years. “Very few winemakers excel in all three fields ground. Surrounded completely by a rolling landscape of vines, of the industry.” the town and nearby hills are home to about 600 people. For half a century, Gaja has maintained an admirable level of The Gaja winery, however, is largely hidden away. Halfway up quality. (For more on this, see “The Gaja Wines: Balancing Tradi- the main lane, there’s a small building on the right with a green tion and Innovation,” page 61.) The Gaja Barbaresco 2007, the metal gate. A sign on the entrance states in English, “The winery most recent release, earned 93 points in a Wine Spectator blind tast- regrets that it cannot welcome visitors without an appointment.” ing this spring. His three single-vineyard bottlings from Barbaresco On a foggy morning, a small group of tourists gathers across the all earned classic scores: Sorì Tildìn 2007 achieved 95 points, each street in a clump, taking pictures of the gate as their guide speaks of Costa Russi 2007 and Sorì San Lorenzo 2007, 97 points. Their of Barbaresco’s famous resident. prices also show how Gaja has changed the image of Italian wine— On the other side of the green door lies a small courtyard, sur- each sells for more than $400 a bottle. rounded by buildings of various ages. Gaja walks out from offices Unwilling to increase volume at his Barbaresco winery, yet on the left. He’s dressed in a black shirt and gray sweater, match- unable to stand pat, Gaja has expanded outside Piedmont in the ing the palette of most of his labels. He’s of average height and past 17 years. In 1994, he bought a historic estate in Montalcino, build, except for his head, which is large, with a slightly jutting Pieve Santa Restituta. There he takes a more traditional approach, chin that seems to add to the sense of perpetual forward motion making a small amount of wine only from Sangiovese. In 1996, he conveys. His hair, now gray, is combed back to show off a wid- he bought a property in Bolgheri, on the Tuscan coast, renaming ow’s peak. Combined with his pale blue eyes, his features make his it Ca’ Marcanda. There he started with a blank slate and without whole face radiate with focused intensity. At first glance, he can the constraints of tradition, building a cutting-edge winery and be intimidating, but as soon as he speaks, it becomes clear that this

42 Wine Spectator • OCT. 31, 2011 Gaja at the family home in Barberesco with, from left, daughter Rossana, wife Lucia and daughter Gaia. Both of his daughters have chosen to follow in their father’s big footsteps. intensity is nothing but boyish enthusiasm. He refers to guests, small farm. According to family legend, some of the sons were male or female, as “my dearrrr.” drunks and some were gamblers, and all but one promptly lost their “Angelo Gaja is the type of person that when you talk to him, you land. Giovanni’s fourth son, named Angelo, kept his, possibly be- understand you have his full attention and at the same time you cause he was shrewd and possibly because he was terrified of his know he has no time to waste on you,” says Vacca. “The man is care- wife, Clotilde Rey Gaja. fully listening, but at the same time you feel you need to be quick Clotilde Rey Gaja was a force of nature. Originally from a small because he is a busy man. It can be intimidating, of course.” town 3 miles from the French border, she had studied to be a school- Beginning a rapid tour of his winery, Gaja explains that his teacher. When she joined the Gaja family, she quickly took charge great-grandfather Giovanni lived in one of the houses in the court- of the osteria, and soon she was also managing the winery, handling yard, which was shared by several families. Although his family accounting and sales. Many of the villagers called her madama. “My has lived in the region for two centuries, the Gajas are not origi- grandfather had a saying,” notes the modern-day Angelo. “ ‘With nally Italian. They emigrated from Catalonia, not far from Barce- a woman like that, a hurricane, you can either move with her or lona. In 1859, Giovanni established a winery in Barbaresco. He you can get flattened.’ ” Her husband used her dowry to buy an- already had a successful carting business, transporting casks of other vineyard. Eventually the family decided to quit the restau- wine, and the family also owned an osteria, a small restaurant, rant business and focus on wine. down by the ferry landing on the Tanaro. You can see the current Angelo’s face in pictures of his grandpar- They owned some vineyards and made wine to sell to diners. ents. His intensity comes from Clotilde. His sense of humor may come Eventually, regulars began asking if they could buy wine to take from the older Angelo, who has a wry smile under his mustache. home. Wine increasingly became an important source of income, Their eldest son, Giovanni, was born in 1908 and attended school and Giovanni tunneled under his courtyard neighbors to make in Alba. At 25, he began working at the winery, but his primary space for cellars. profession was as a surveyor. In those days it was an influential po- Giovanni had several sons, and enough success to leave each a sition—he also acted as a broker for land deals and was involved

OCT. 31, 2011 • Wine Spectator 43 Angelo’s father, Giovanni (left), was a shrewd businessman who gave his son the freedom to innovate and to make mistakes. Angelo began helping in the winery at age 11 under the tutelage of his headstrong grandmother Clotilde (below), who managed the winery for decades.

with various construction projects. in Piedmont, the ’50s brought il Giovanni had a natural business “My grandfather had a miracolo economico, the economic sense and was someone people miracle, which transformed Italy trusted. In 1958, the citizens of saying, ‘With a woman like from a developing nation into Barbaresco elected him mayor, that, a Hurricane, you can one of the world’s largest econo- even though he lived in Alba un- mies. The U.S. Marshall Plan, til 1963. He served for 25 years. either move with her or land reforms and economic re- Giovanni’s job brought him fa- you can get flattened.’ ” forms all played a role. miliarity with every piece of land —angelo gaja Alba had been a parochial in the region. Because of the mez- town. Thanks to an expanding zadria, or sharecropping system, textile industry and to Ferrero, the common throughout Italy, most of the land in the Langhe, the re- local sweets company that invented Nutella in 1946, the area boomed. gion that includes Barolo and Barbaresco, was owned by noble fami- The construction industry prospered, and Giovanni used much of his lies. Sharecroppers worked the land, selling the grapes and other money to buy vineyards. And there was plenty of land on the mar- crops and keeping half the proceeds for themselves. Winemakers ket. The noble families and the church were selling because the mez- like the Gajas bought the grapes, made wine and sold it to private zadri were abandoning farming to work in Alba and Turin. customers, often the same noble families who owned the land. In these heady times, sleepy Barbaresco didn’t captivate a young The Gajas were unusual in that they also owned some land. Gio- boy. “I had no idea I wanted to follow in Giovanni’s footsteps at vanni wanted more, but the years between the World Wars were the winery. He chose for me,” says Gaja. He went to school in Alba, hard times in the Langhe. “Before World War II, he had no money, but starting at age 11, spent his weekends in Barbaresco, helping but he was already noting the land that made the best wines,” says out under the focused eye of his grandmother, or tildìn, as the fam- Gaja. “He already had a map in his head.” ily called Clotilde. “I didn’t want to be there,” he freely admits. “I Despite the difficult times, the family continued to build a name wanted to be with my friends.” for their wine. Giovanni sold off lower-quality wines in bulk. “It But Clotilde’s lessons stuck. At 14, Gaja entered Alba’s wine- was a sacrifice, but construction gave him the money to do it,” says making school, the Istituto Tecnico Agrario e Enologico, begin- Gaja. Giovanni was also the first to put the name Gaja at the top ning a six-year program that combined high school with university of the label, beginning in 1937. “He was not shy,” laughs Giovan- studies. When he graduated, he enrolled to get his master’s degree ni’s son, calling the kettle black. in economics from the university in Turin. He took classes part- time while working, graduating in 1970. Gaja also did something no one else in his family really had— Your son will bankrupt you he traveled. He served apprenticeships in Burgundy and at the In many ways, Angelo Gaja was no different from the three genera- Languedoc’s Montpelier research center. He came to appreciate tions before him. What was different was the world that shaped that there was more to winemaking than the traditions of the him. Angelo was born in 1940, and grew up not in Barbaresco, but Langhe. He even spent three months in London, hoping to learn in Alba, and during dramatic times. After the devastation of World some English, working at a fish-and-chips shop to pay his way.

War II and guerilla warfare between Fascists and their opponents When he went to restaurants to eat, he got a rude awakening about of gaja courtesy

44 Wine Spectator • OCT. 31, 2011 the image of Italian wines abroad. First of all, they weren’t avail- a thermometer into the must to monitor the temperature—not able, except in Italian restaurants, and even there the wine lists control it, just monitor it. Rama told him to go insert a thermom- were small and unimpressive. Locals in the Langhe considered eter somewhere else. Barolo the king of Italian wines, with Barbaresco close behind. But Giovanni was willing to let his son try out new ideas and make both were practically unknown outside northern Italy. his own mistakes, but he wasn’t going to fire a veteran like Rama. In 1961, the same year his grandmother died, Angelo went to Gaja still bristles at the memory. “At that time, producers here work at the family winery. He was 21 years old, full of big ideas were very proud to say, ‘I am making the wine exactly as my grand- and 20th-century dreams. He ran smack into 19th-century tradi- father did.’ But their grandfathers didn’t have running water,” he tion. He had an enology degree, but the winery already had a says. “You can’t throw tradition out the window, but you need in- winemaker, a veteran named Luigi Rama who was making the novation.” To Gaja, the idea of simply retreading the path his fa- wines in a traditional manner and receiving accolades for them. ther had carved was intolerable. But for the time being he stayed Why should he listen to the owner’s egghead son? At one point away from Rama, focusing instead on the vineyards. during fermentation that fall, Angelo suggested that Rama insert Locals remember the young Gaja driving his tractor far too fast down vineyard lanes, always in a hurry. Vineyard manager Luigi Cavallo wasn’t thrilled by some of Angelo’s ideas but was willing “You can’t throw tradition to try them. The first move was to cut yields by 50 percent. In out the window, but you postwar Italy, farmers were happy to have Nebbiolo vines weighed down by grapes—underripe grapes. Nebbiolo is always the first need innovation.” variety in the Langhe to bud but the last to ripen, increasing the —angelo gaja threat of frost, mildew and other problems. It often didn’t ripen completely before falling temperatures triggered harvest. Gaja wanted his fruit ripe. Many growers saw the severe pruning go- ing on in the Gaja vineyards and laughed to the mayor down at the café that his son was going to bankrupt him. Giovanni vented to Angelo, but allowed him to keep prun- ing. What’s more, he agreed when Angelo told him they should stop buying grapes; the Gajas obtained half of their fruit from other growers. Gaja couldn’t control how those growers were working, so he wanted only estate grapes. With these two decisions, he effectively cut production by 75 percent. When 1961 turned out to be a small harvest in the Langhe, Giovanni was unhappy. But 1962 produced a bumper crop, and while many wineries made lean, light wines, the Gajas made ripe ones. Angelo’s ideas were validated, and Giovanni bought more land. In 1964, they purchased a farm owned by the archdiocese of Alba, which included the vineyard Sorì San Lorenzo. (Sorì is Piedmontese for a south-facing slope, which is ideal for ripening Nebbi- olo.) The sharecropper on the property had vines in only one portion, mixed among various other crops and space for livestock. Gaja harvested and sold 10 tons of wheat that year before he could plant vines up and down the entire length of the slope. He planted those vines ritocchino, in vertical rows down the slope, as opposed to the traditional girapoggio, horizontal rows running across the slope. Vertical archive rows allowed for closer planting, increas-

Gaja in 1976. He innovated from the start, first halving his vineyard yields and then using only estate grapes for the wines. ing the vineyard’s density. wine spectator

46 Wine Spectator • OCT. 31, 2011 In 1967, Giovanni bought the farm of Roncagliette from a Fiat But each day as Giovanni left his house and walked by the vines, he engineer in Turin. It included two plots of land that would come shook his head, saying “darmagi,” Piedmontese for “what a pity.” An- to be known as Sorì Tildìn—named for Clotilde—and Costa Russi. gelo responded by naming the resulting wine Darmagi. The winery released the 1967 vintage from Sorì San Lorenzo as a single-vineyard wine, a first for Barbaresco. Giovanni continued to mutter about his son’s methods, but he Guido was patient never stopped him. Even when Angelo committed what may have Back in the winery courtyard, Gaja heads for a door on the right been the biggest sin of all, ripping out the Nebbiolo in the prized and descends into the cellars. Invisible to most eyes, the winery goes Bricco vineyard just below the Gajas’ house and replanting with down five stories into Barbaresco’s hillside. Each floor is a tangle of Cabernet Sauvignon, Giovanni didn’t put his foot down. “He didn’t rooms, some connected by small tunnels and many dug in the 19th like Cabernet Sauvignon in our soil, but he didn’t stop it,” says Gaja. century, filled with stainless steel tanks, large oak vats and small oak barrels. It’s 150 years of winemaking, but most of the equipment is from the past 40 years, since Gaja got his hands on the cellar. “HE was in charge of the In 1970 Rama retired, and Gaja recruited a 23-year-old enologist accelerator, I of the brake.” and fellow graduate of Alba’s winemaking school to replace him. Guido Rivella quickly proved the perfect partner for Gaja and is still —Guido rivella, Winemaker winemaker today. Like Gaja, Rivella was educated and wanted to try new methods in the winery. But his personality was completely different—cautious and methodical. “I was always in a hurry,” Gaja says. “Guido was patient.” Rivella puts it this way: “He was in charge of the accelerator, I of the brake.” Nebbiolo requires patience. This noble variety, linked to the Langhe for at least 700 years, challenges ev- ery winemaker who dares to work with it. When fully ripe—a big if— it has high acidity and tannins and low anthocyanins, the compounds that produce red wine’s color. “In- telligent people are not easy, but you manage at the end to build a constructive, positive and satisfac- tory relationship,” says Rivella. “It is the same with Nebbiolo. It is hard to domesticate it. Tannins are its power, but they can also represent a limit if they are not interpreted in the right way.” For well over 100 years, Langhe winemakers had tackled this chal- lenging grape by leaving their fer- menting wine on the must in large oak vats for a month or longer, ex- tracting all the tannin and color they could. They then placed the wine in large Slavonian oak vats called botti, where it would sit and age for years, after which it was transferred to glass demijohns to age still longer. The hope was that time would eventually soften the acidity and tannins. In the process,

Winemaker Guido Rivella (left) and assistant cellar master Alessandro Albarello in Barbaresco. They control the fierce tannic power much of the wine grew oxidized. of the native Nebbiolo with modern winemaking techniques largely unknown in Piedmont before Gaja’s introduction of them. Because fermentations were long,

OCT. 31, 2011 • Wine Spectator 49 Gaja still calls the village of Barbaresco, where the family winery is located, home. The vintner prefers to keep a low profile in the village, in contrast to his energetic demeanor.

temperatures were uncontrolled and the oak vats were hard to keep clean, the final wines were often flawed, with volatile acid- “He is a gifted, talented ity, brettanomyces or residual sugar. The changes that Gaja and Rivella began to make were similar winemaker, he is a smart to those being espoused in Bordeaux by Émile Peynaud and by the businessman and also a University of California, Davis, to Napa Valley winemakers. But in the Langhe, they might as well have been from Mars. In 1974, very gracious host. very Gaja installed the first stainless steel fermentation tanks, allowing few winemakers excel in all Rivella to closely control temperature and oxygen exposure during three fields.” —Aldo vacca, fermentation. This helped preserve the wine’s fruit. Rivella prefers to let the wild yeasts on the grapes conduct fermentation, but he produttori del barbaresco keeps cultured yeasts on hand just in case. Rivella also began to draw the wine off the must sooner, usually after three weeks, short- connect its cellars to his own. The light from the courtyard above ening the extraction of tannin. the room illuminates one of Gaja’s more radical—critics would say Next on the agenda was malolactic fermentation, the process in heretical—innovations in Langhe winemaking: multiple rows of which bacteria convert the hard, malic acid into softer, lactic acid, small, French oak barrels. crucial in a high-acidity red like Nebbiolo. In the past, it had been Barriques—Gaja had seen the 225-liter casks on his trips to France a mystery to most winemakers, and sometimes it didn’t finish, leav- and thought nothing of them. It was unsurprising that the French ing a sour taste in the wine. Rivella began controlling malolactic would be using their own oak and traditional containers to mature by warming up the cellar until it was completed, and monitoring it their wines, just as Italians were using the larger Slavonian oak casks by measuring the levels of the two acids from samples. called botti. But on a trip to Napa Valley in 1967, Gaja noticed that the Californians were switching to French barriques, and he started eading his guests through the labyrinth of his winery, Gaja researching their effects. The smaller casks would provide more stops in a room lit by a small hole in the center of the ceil- oxygen exposure to his maturing Nebbiolo, stabilizing color and ing, part of an old well that dates to the 13th century. An structure. The barriques, unlike botti, would only be used for two to old palazzo stands across the street from Gaja’s winery. He three years, adding flavor and structure to the wines. Lbought it several years ago, tunneling under the street to In 1968, Gaja bought 36 used barriques from a Bordeaux château. 50 Wine Spectator • OCT. 31, 2011 He got ripped off. They were very old and had been used for sev- Gaja prevented his wines from being sold in most Italian restau- eral vintages. But he went back to the drawing board and experi- rants in other countries. He didn’t want his wines relegated to an mented for eight years with different suppliers, woods, cuts and ethnic pigeonhole. He wanted them next to the Bordeaux and the toasting, trying to find the right formula. First he aged Barbera Burgundies. in the wood, then Nebbiolo. Gaja says he believes his 1978 vin- Darmagi, the Cabernet Sauvignon that shamed his father, was tage was the first that truly expressed his vision for Gaja wines. another attempt by Gaja to gain respect. He wanted to prove that Today, he buys his own wood from French suppliers, leaving the Barbaresco could produce great wine from one of the great grapes pieces stacked in his courtyard for several years to season before of the world. It was a way of grabbing the attention of people who they are coopered. ignored indigenous Italian varietals. Darmagi and Gaja’s Chardon- To Langhe traditionalists, the barrique is Gaja’s ultimate sin, even nay have consistently received outstanding scores. more so because it was quickly adopted by many of his neighbors. Another part of gaining respect was charging Bordeaux/Burgundy The traditionalists complain that barriques mask Nebbiolo’s own prices for Nebbiolo. When Gaja released his 1971 Barbaresco, he tannins and flavors, transforming Barolo and Barbaresco into just more than doubled the price of his 1970 vintage. The price has another big red wine, indistinguishable from Bordeaux or Napa only gone up since, and the 2007 Barbaresco sells for more than Cabernet. The late Barolo winemaker Bartolo Mascarello once put $200 at retail. Partially, Gaja says, this is because quality costs the mantra “No barrique, no Berlusconi” on his labels, effectively money—whether it’s expensive tanks and barriques or the cost of declaring them as big an issue as Italy’s divisive prime minister. low yields. He is making an artisanal product. He produces only Gaja believes most of his critics are simply too insular in their 1,000 cases of each of his single-vineyard wines. vision. In the 1960s, when Gaja first tried to export his wines, res- But he acknowledges that pricing will always be a sore spot for taurateurs from Switzerland and Germany told him his wines were some consumers. “Several years ago, I started getting regular phone good, but too rustic compared to Bordeaux. His goal was to create calls complaining about the prices,” he says. “A retailer in Miami, a wine that tasted complex and balanced, yet still conveyed the whenever one of his customers complained about the high price uniqueness of Nebbiolo. Gaja doesn’t think the oak masks any- of Italian wines, he would hand them one of my business cards and thing, just elevates the wine. say, ‘Complain to this guy.’ ” Gaja laughs at the story, but the truth That said, he does believe you can go too far with oak, one of is that his prices will keep many wine lovers from ever tasting a the reasons he experimented for so long to obtain the right formula Gaja wine. They have become luxury goods. for aging his Nebbiolos. Today, Rivella leaves the wines for a year in barriques, about a third of them new, then transfers them to used botti for the second year. to traditionalists, using barriques is gaja’s ultimate Complain to this guy sin. they complain that the The third prong of Gaja’s changes involved marketing. When Gaja smaller casks mask nebbio- took over, the family’s wines were sold directly to private custom- ers in Piedmont and the neighboring provinces of Lombardy and lo’s tannins and flavors, Liguria. Giovanni urged his son to travel and find new customers. making the wines too big In 1965, Angelo walked into the best restaurant in Milan and con- vinced the owner to put Gaja Barbaresco 1961 on the wine list. and international in style. While Giovanni appreciated the loyalty of private customers, he realized that the best way to get more attention and eventually ex- There was another move that gave Gaja access to more markets. pand to new markets was to focus on fine dining restaurants. An- In the late 1970s, a friend, an Italian who imported Domaine de gelo agreed. Gaja didn’t have money for advertising and had few la Romanée-Conti, told Gaja he was dropping the brand and asked sales agents at the time; why not let influential sommeliers and if Gaja knew of an importer who could pick it up. Gaja thought restaurant owners sell the wines for them by word of mouth? about it and said, “Why not me?” This began decades of Angelo traveling through Europe, person- So Gaja founded Gaja Distribuzione to import wines to Italy. ally pitching the wines to the best restaurants. In 1973, he began By 1990, it was making as much money as the winery. Today it exporting to the United States and became a regular visitor. Today, imports almost 42,000 cases annually from 60 wineries in 15 coun- China and Japan are regular stops. Importers and restaurateurs ap- tries, including Louis Jadot from Burgundy; Haut-Brion, Yquem, preciate that he comes to promote the wines. He has built personal Cos-d’Estournel and Lynch-Bages from Bordeaux; Vega Sicilia relationships across the globe. from Spain; and Joseph Phelps and Kistler from the United States. In the process, he sold not only Gaja, but Italy, arguing that its It also imports Riedel glasses. Beginning in 1979, Gaja began wines deserved to be as respected as French wines. For many years, ordering extra-long corks for his wines from his Sardinian sup- pliers. He believed a custom order would force them to more care- fully select TCA-free bark for him. But traditional corkscrews winespectator.com Bonus Video: Following Family Tradition— Joined by his daughter Gaia, couldn’t extract the long corks easily. The recently developed leading Piedmont vintner Angelo Gaja reminisces about his grandparents who Screwpull corkscrew, made in Texas, could. So Gaja Distribuzi- founded the winery, their influence on him, his wines and his never-ending quest for quality. Watch it at www.winespectator.com/103111. one began importing them.

52 Wine Spectator • OCT. 31, 2011 Clockwise from left: Lucia, Angelo, Gaia and Rossana: Gaia says Angelo listens when his children have suggestions, explains why he disagrees, and then tells them to go try it. “You have to be respectful of their ideas,” Angelo says. Gaja says the import business gave him greater access to the win- Lucia were working long days at the winery, his preteen daughters eries he represented, allowing him to learn more about their cellar were watching hours of television. He cut the power cord. methods and marketing techniques. The business provides added Aside from TV, Gaja has given his daughters the same freedom value in synergy—it is more cost effective for Gaja to build a sales he had—the freedom to make their own choices. Neither was forced network across Italy that handles his wines and his imported wines to work in the winery, but both have chosen to. “I think it will be simultaneously. There are currently 100 sales reps in Italy market- tough for Giovanni if he chooses to join the business, with two ing the wines to high-end restaurants and boutique wineshops. strong women ahead of him,” Gaja jokes. “Parents have to under- stand their children. You have to be respectful of their ideas.” Gaia says that when she presents ideas, her father listens, ex- My father opened his eyes plains why he disagrees, and then tells her to go try them. Before and saw my mother she began at the winery, she spent almost two years in San Fran- In 1971, a Barbaresco priest learned there was a job opening for cisco working for Southern Wine & Spirits, gaining perspective a secretary at the Gaja winery and recommended a young mem- on how business is done in another market. “San Francisco offered ber of his parish, 18-year-old Lucia Giordano. She quickly became uncountable opportunities of social, business, personal, cultural an able employee and developed a good relationship with Gio- life, and I couldn’t wait to experience them all,” she says. “But Bar- vanni, who worked in the office overseeing things. (Giovanni baresco is unique and where I was born.” came to the office almost every day until 1997, when he was 89. Today she works with her father to oversee foreign markets, do- He died in 2002.) ing much of the traveling that he used to do. She’s also interested Giovanni gave Lucia fatherly advice and books to read. “Angelo in viticulture, working with vineyard manager Giorgio Culasso. took care of the vineyards as well as the cellar, and he was often Rossana works with her mother on domestic accounts and admin- istration, and aids Rivella in the cellars. “My grandmother told me that if I chose the life of a Hope, money, glory In Piedmont, it was cool and cloudy, the vineyards covered by winemaker, I would have waves of fog. In Tuscany, where Gaja is beginning another day af- hope, money and glory. ter his three-hour commute, the sun is out and the greens of tall cypresses and gnarled olive trees color the landscape. “My grand- Pieve Santa Restituta and mother told me that if I chose the life of a winemaker, I would have Ca’ Marcanda are my hope.” hope, money and glory,” he says. “Pieve Santa Restituta and Ca’ Marcanda are my hope.” —Angelo Gaja Gaja wines produces 30,000 cases a year, a number that has not changed since 1989. Gaja firmly believes he can remain an artisan on business trips, hardly ever at the office,” says Lucia. “And at the only if he stays at what he considers artisanal volumes. But in 1989, office, he was always in a hurry and of few words.” Robert Mondavi, one of Gaja’s idols, proposed that they partner That changed in 1976, when Lucia took a cooking class at a on a joint venture in Tuscany, or possibly in the New World. Gaja nearby restaurant and Angelo walked in. “Finally, after five years, passed; he was from Piedmont, what did he know of Tuscany or my father opened his eyes and saw my mother,” says Gaia Gaja, countries outside Italy? He told reporters later that the joint ven- Angelo and Lucia’s oldest child. After three months of dating, they ture would be like “a mosquito having sex with an elephant—very were engaged—but they kept it secret at first. “My mother arrived dangerous and not much pleasure.” Mondavi eventually invested at the office with an engagement ring, and my grandfather said, in Tenuta dell’Ornellaia in Tuscany’s Bolgheri region. ‘Lucia, you are young. Think carefully before getting married. Don’t However, Gaja continued to ponder the idea. His father had get off at the first stop on the train.’ She said, ‘But the ring is from believed in wines of the soil, wines from the land you knew. But Angelo.’ ” Angelo’s parents, who had been worried about their Mondavi had proven that that you could take your ideas to an- 36-year-old son’s bachelor status for some time, were thrilled. other region. Lucia has been crucial to Gaja’s success. She is her husband’s In 1994, Gaja bought Pieve Santa Restituta, in Montalcino. One partner at the winery, keeping the office running smoothly while of the oldest, most respected properties in the area, it is located on he travels the world. She manages the front office and heads the the southwest slope of the appellation. The seventh-century church sales network for Gaja Distribuzione and the Gaja wines in Italy. of Santa Restituta stands there, and Gaja is funding a restoration Gaia was born in 1979, younger sister Rossana in 1981. Son Gio- project of the historic chapel. On this sunny morning, a construc- vanni was born in 1993. Gaia has her father’s eyes and expression, tion crew is working on concealing the winery; completed in 2005, while Rossana looks more like Lucia. Asked how Angelo chose her it was carved into the hillside and will now be covered over, tucked echoing name (Gaia is the Italian spelling of the Catalan Gaja), underground, leaving just the church in view. Gaia laughs and says that she believes it’s so she’ll always be a Gaja Walking around the property, Gaia smiles from ear to ear. She no matter who she marries. Both daughters describe a father who loves how wild this place is compared to Piedmont. Her father agrees. traveled a great deal but was actively involved. Even as a dad, Gaja He’s actually starting a program to plant cypresses in the Langhe, prefers bold moves. At one point he discovered that while he and hoping to counter the monoculture of vines his area has become in

OCT. 31, 2011 • Wine Spectator 55 Gaja purchased Pieve Santa Restituta, in Montalcino, in 1994. He grows only Sangiovese on this estate and is funding the restoration of a centuries-old chapel amid the vines. the past century. The trees would provide homes for birds, small Pieve Santa Restituta is about tradition. At Ca’ Marcanda, Gaja mammals and insects, bringing more life to the vineyards. has started from scratch with no history or family legacy. The prop- There are 40 acres of vines in four vineyards at Pieve Santa Res- erty had been used for various crops, so Gaja planted extensively. tituta, planted on a mix of limestone and clay soils. There are three There now is a total of 150 acres, with very little Sangiovese. Origi- wines: a Brunello di Montalcino, made from grapes sourced from nally Gaja used more of the Italian grape, but he was not impressed. all four vineyards; Renina, a Brunello made from the best grapes “The soil here is wrong for Sangiovese, and the land is too flat,” of three of the vineyards; and Sugarille, sourced from the vineyard he says. Like many of his neighbors, he focuses on international of the same name, which has a greater percentage of limestone. varieties—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a Montalcino has been a boomtown in the past 20 years, but Gaja little Syrah, planted in three vineyards. has the luxury of focusing on quality over quantity. He produces There are three wines, each meant to express a different type of fewer than 6,000 cases a year. He doesn’t make Rosso di Montal- soil; Gaja’s team has identified 11 distinct soil types in the vine- cino, because he believes the so-called “baby Brunellos” are infe- yards. Ca’ Marcanda, the flagship, is a blend of 50 percent Merlot, rior and hurt the image of Brunello. When excessive rain ruined 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 10 percent Cabernet Franc. the 2002 vintage and sweltering heat hurt the 2003 vintage, Gaja The soils they grow in are mostly rocky, with a good deal of lime- sold off his entire production in bulk. stone. Magari is also 50 percent Merlot, with equal amounts of the When he bought the property, Gaja ripped out several acres of two Cabernets; its grapes come from both limestone soil and darker Cabernet Sauvignon. Unlike at his other estates, he has chosen clay soils. Promis is 55 percent Merlot, 35 percent Syrah and 10 to focus on one grape here, Sangiovese. Asked about the recent percent Sangiovese, all planted in the darker clay soils. Montalcino scandal, wherein some producers were accused of Gaja admits he is still learning the terroir here, and the wines blending other grapes into their Brunellos and were sanctioned, reflect that learning curve. While the past three vintages in release Gaja prefers to be politic and say nothing. Gaia says her father is have been mostly outstanding, there were some years that were a pragmatist and understands the temptation, but he also believes merely good. All of the wines show richness, but not yet the com- that everyone should follow the rules. While he’s hardly a slave plexity of the wines from Gaja’s other two properties. to tradition, he’s not a fan of recent proposals to change Brunello But Gaja says he will be patient, even if it means that his chil- regulations. dren will end up being the ones to make Ca’ Marcanda a true suc- An hour downhill—at least at Gaja-speed—lies Bolgheri, the cess. Unlike in Barbaresco, where he is the fourth generation, here wild region on the Tuscan coast. In 1996, after two years of pro- he is the first. While his staff is largely local, it is still overseen tracted talks with a family of merchants, Gaja bought a property by Culasso and Rivella. In Tuscany, where so many of the success- C ephas here, down the road from Ornellaia. He named it Ca’ Marcanda, ful wineries are owned by newcomers, winemaking consultants R ock/

the house of endless negotiations. are very popular. In Piedmont, where the wineries are owned by Mick

56 Wine Spectator • OCT. 31, 2011 The Ca’Marcanda winery in Tuscany’s Bolgheri region, where Gaja started from scratch. He has yet to realize the best from its terroirs—a goal he admits his children may inherit. families stretching back centuries, they are not. Asked if he would that his single-vineyard Nebbiolos would no longer be classified in hire a consultant for either Tuscan property, Gaja recoils. “My god! the Barbaresco DOCG, but the lesser Langhe Nebbiolo DOC cat- No, no, no.” He knows his winemaker of 40 years is no hired gun. egory. Conspiracy theorists whispered that he would start adding At the same time, that might make his learning curve steeper. Cabernet to Sorí San Lorenzo, which the law would allow. Gaja After greeting the staff in the small stone office up front, Gaja denies he ever considered that, but he did begin blending 5 per- walks around back through an olive grove and quickly up a hill. He cent Barbera into the wines. With better vineyard techniques, his loves how different this land is from that of his other two wineries. single-vineyard wines were always ripe. A little Barbera, a grape There are mountains on one side and the Mediterranean on the with high acidity, would add freshness. other. “The light is different here,” he says. “So are the smells and Taking his three great wines out of the Barbaresco category was the soil.” On the far side of the hill, a strikingly modern winery rises another sign that Gaja had surpassed his region in some ways. Sales from the landscape. Designed by architect Giovanni Bo, the Ca’ did not suffer because “Barbaresco” did not appear on the label; Marcanda winery at first seems completely alien, built into the hill- the word “Gaja” was enough. That wasn’t necessarily good for the side but with an angular green copper roof jutting out. At second appellation, however. glance it becomes apparent that it’s an extension of the landscape— But Gaja insists that he has not turned his back on Barbaresco. the roof melds with the mountains behind it, and with the forest. He argues that as his single-vineyard wines gained in reputation, the Gaja Barbaresco, made from multiple vineyards, was treated as ll of Gaja’s wineries are hidden from sight. Back in an ordinary wine, Gaja’s Barbaresco normale. He wants it to be the Piedmont the next day, walking the sleepy streets of top Barbaresco they produce, leaving the single-vineyard wines in Barbaresco, he tries to explain why. In Italy, he says, another category. you can’t show off. “You have to make people forgive Gaja stops on the street, just outside the winery, and points to a you for your success. Farsi perdonare il successo.” This little house just down the hill. It’s Gaia’s. When she started work- man,A who built his wines’ reputation and lifted the reputation of ing at the winery full-time, after years abroad in San Francisco and Italian wine in the process, feels he has to be humble at home. Barcelona, she insisted that she would only do it if she could live This complexity is part of Gaja’s character. Outside the Langhe, in Milan. Barbaresco was too sleepy. “Now she lives closer to the he boasts of his wines. At home, he hides his success. In Montal- winery than I do,” he laughs. cino, he respects tradition, history and even the church. In Bol- Just as he did, Gaja’s children will have to learn how to balance gheri, he pushes the boundaries of what Italian wine is. their desire to innovate with their respect for family history. They With his family’s long history in winemaking, Gaja will always also face the challenge of matching his accomplishments, but they walk a fine line between respect for tradition and his desire to in- have been taught to try. After all, hope, money and glory are in

novate. A most fitting example came in 1999, when he announced their genes. of gaja courtesy

58 Wine Spectator • OCT. 31, 2011 Balancing Tradition and Innovation // By bruce sanderson

ngelo Gaja is a tireless innovator. When he joined in La Morra, shows the more perfume and finesse of the two, while his father in the family winery in 1961, they had 52 the Serralunga d’Alba origins of Sperss give that wine greater den- acres of vines, all in Barbaresco. Today, the family sity and structure. firm controls 567 acres in Barbaresco and Barolo in When the wines are young, the new oak lends some spice ele- Piedmont and the Brunello di Montalcino and Bol- ments, yet it’s well-integrated and in time is absorbed into the wine. gheri regions of Tuscany. A Conteisa 1996 and Sperss 1989, tasted at the winery in Bar- AQuality is a keynote. The Gaja wines consistently score outstand- baresco last November, revealed all the classic elements of Barolo: ing (90 to 94 points on Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale), and often aromas of flowers and truffle, licorice and tar flavors and, above classic (95 to 100). (For reviews of current releases, see the accom- all, savory, mineral notes. panying chart.) With Brunello di Montalcino, Gaja makes three wines from the In Barbaresco and Barolo, Gaja works principally with Nebbiolo, Pieve Santa Restituta estate. Made of 100 percent Sangiovese, the region’s renowned indigneous grape variety. Though he respects these are fleshier wines than Gaja’s Nebbiolo-based reds, but none- tradition there, he has never been afraid of change. In 1967, Gaja theless show the trademark Gaja polish. Barrel aging gives them and his father began making vineyard-designated Barbarescos. In roundness and sweet spice notes, placing them firmly in the mod- 1996, Gaja began blending a small amount of Barbera with the ern camp, yet without flamboyance or exaggeration. Nebbiolo in these wines. In 1971, he and winemaker Guido Riv- Gaja’s Brunellos also age well. Tasted in the region this past ella incorporated the use of French barriques into the aging regime April, the Sugarille 1999 was powerful and long, while the Ren- of the Nebbiolo. inna 1996 was elegant, fresh and spicy. Both matched well with a Keeping yields low to achieve optimum ripeness in the formi- dish of beef cheeks braised in Brunello. dable Nebbiolo tannins and macerating gently, Gaja and Rivella Gaja’s latest project, Ca’ Marcanda, in Bolgheri, allows him gain power and a velvety lushness to their wines’ texture, balanced greater freedom to experiment. There, he planted Merlot, Caber- by freshness and finesse. Above all, there is purity to the wines. net Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah (in addition to some The wines are more modern than those of staunch traditionalists, Sangiovese with which he was underwhelmed, the region being yet more traditional than reds from some new-wave producers. too warm for the variety, he says). There are three red blends, each Of the single-vineyard bottlings, Gaja’s Costa Russi is the laci- based on a different profile of soil types. Though distinctly differ- est in texture, the Sorì Tildìn shows density and breadth, and the ent from wines of Gaja’s other estates, the wines of Ca’ Marcanda Sorì San Lorenzo combines power and elegance. The Barolos are also bear the richness and class Gaja wines are known for. muscular, with more bass notes. Conteisa, from the cru Cerequio There are textural and structural differences in the wines, yet at

OCT. 31, 2011 • Wine Spectator 61 this stage of the project, I taste more varietal remains to be seen whether they will develop character than terroir in them. I find the Ca’ a terroir character that is uniquely Bolgheri Marcanda wines distinctly New World in style, as the vines age, or maintain their varietal, at one end of Bolgheri’s stylistic spectrum barbaresco New World character. along with Grattamacco, I Greppi’s Greppi- No matter the region, Angelo Gaja has caia and Le Macchiole. At the opposite end bolgheri montalcino been willing to try new techniques, in both is Sassicaia, with its finesse and elegance, while vineyard and winery. The resulting wines Ornellaia, despite its modern feel, and Argen- have sometimes shocked traditionalists, yet tiera’s top red hold the middle ground. italy over time, they have proven to remain true In Piedmont and Montalcino, Gaja has to their local identities. Over his half- built on the traditions of the regions, taking century of work, Gaja has been able to his wines in a more modern direction while honor tradition while at the same time retaining their sense of place. The Bolgheri make wines that can stand shoulder to project is the most radical, and the Ca’ Mar- shoulder with the top wines from France canda wines have an international feel. It and the world in general.

Top Recent Releases From Gaja Wineries These wines were tasted blind by Bruce Sanderson. WineSpectator.com members can access complete reviews using our online Wine Ratings search.

Gaja wine Score Price

Langhe Costa Russi 2007 97 $440 Very supple, oozing seduction and class. Cherry, raspberry, violet and spice flavors are accented by licorice and mineral notes. Intense, with tension and focus. There’s a firm structure, and it’s almost racy on the long mineral aftertaste.

Langhe Sorì San Lorenzo 2007 97 $440 Rich and sumptuous, with sweet spices, smoke, toast, blackberry, plum and licorice that unfold in layers, matched to a dense texture and finely meshed tannins. Combining grace and power, it resonates on the finish with cherry, spice and mineral notes.

Langhe Sorì Tildìn 2007 95 $440 Toast and spice aromas lead off in this warm, expansive red, evoking black cherry, plum, floral and spice flavors all allied to a silky texture and precision structure. Rich fruit and spice flavors echo on the finish.

Langhe Sperss 2006 94 $255 Gaja’s Sperss vineyard in Piedmont A rich, chewy red, with complex flavors of sandalwood, plum, bitter chocolate and roasted vanilla, all backed by a firm structure. There’s Pieve Santa Restituta (cont.) terrific balance, and this just needs time to integrate. wine Score Price

Barbaresco 2007 93 $210 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina 2006 92 $155 Bright, rich and powerful, boasting oak spice that adds interest to its Warm, inviting aromas of black cherry, blackberry and toasted spices give way to cherry, licorice and tobacco flavors. Shows fine intensity and a chewy licorice, tar and mineral flavors. Builds to a nice crescendo on the long aftertaste of texture. Initially a little dry on the finish, but with extended aeration, spice and mineral. A modern style. this gets better and better, with a long aftertaste of sweet spice.

Langhe Conteisa 2006 93 $215 Ca’ Marcanda Rich and supple, with a dusting of refined tannins providing a frame- wine Score Price for plum, black cherry, chocolate and sweet spice aromas and flavors. Bolgheri 2007 93 $160 Langhe Darmagi 2006 91 $225 Though broad and fleshy, this shows no shortage of structure, with a Distinctly varietal and aromatic, offering black currant and violet fla- fine minerally, earthy undercurrent. Despite ample black currant, black vors, with hints of sage and sweet spice, all melding with the rich tex- cherry and oak spice, this could move toward a decidedly Old World ture and integrated structure. Lingers with black currant and spice on profile. Fine length. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. the aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Toscana Magari 2008 91 $85 A dense red, boasting concentrated plum and blackberry flavors Pieve Santa Restituta paired up with a strong dose of new oak. Well-integrated overall, and wine Score Price moderately long. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Brunello di Montalcino Sugarille 2006 94 $170 Toscana Promis 2008 90 $50 Perfumed, evoking flowers, spices and underbrush. Rich and fleshy Bursting with pure, sweet blackberry, black cherry and spice flavors, plum, licorice, tar and mineral flavors get a boost from a firm, lively this is not overoaked, offering a vibrant structure, with firm tannins on structure. Shows fine density and extract, with a lingering aftertaste. the finish and nice length. Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese.

of gaja courtesy

62 Wine Spectator • OCT. 31, 2011