2017 - Barolo Sperss, Gaja

Following so quickly after the celestial 2016 vintage, this Gaja 2017 Barolo Sperss shows muscle and brawn; however, the Conteisa holds its own in terms of aromatic complexity. With fruit from Serralunga d'Alba, that added concentration and determination are expected, especially in a hot and dry vintage such as 2017. Here you get dark cherry fruit with cassis and wild plum. There are also floral aromas that veer toward red rose more than they do violets or blue flowers. And, of course, you get some of those iron-rich or mineral notes of rusty nail or iron that are often associated with Sperss.

Gaja's 2017 Barolo Sperss starts off with attractive notes of ripe strawberry, against a background of white chalk and gentle sweet-spice notes of oak. On the palate it is much more fleshy and concentrated than the 2018, with a soft, round and full impression and some little, crunchy, drier tannins. The tannins are more compact and fine and are closing down the fruit a little today but of course, there is always the Gaja signature of supreme finesse to balance this.

The 2017 Barolo Sperss is a powerful, backward wine. In 2017 Sperss is not as huge as in some previous years, but then again, the move towards greater finesse has been in place for some time now. In tasting, Sperss feels more extracted and tannic than Conteisa (even after allowing for the clear differences in site), with a strong oak imprint that is also pretty evident. Sage, tobacco, scorched earth and spice meld into a core of dark Serralunga fruit in this imposing Barolo from Gaja. Give it a few years to soften.

Light ruby. Sweet red-cherry aroma, fragrant and inviting. Seems more perfumed than the Costa Russi and the tannins finer, softer, though they still build to a long, dry finesse and freshness on the finish. (JH)