2023 Gaja Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmont

A restrained wine with vibrant wild strawberries, lemon tree, a whiff of eucalyptus and potpourri. Medium- to full-bodied, it’s very classic and fresh. Tannins are firm and dusty yet ripe, with ferrous, savory notes. The polished finish is reminiscent of licorice and full of harmony. Drink or hold.

96 points James Suckling

Bottled in July 2025, the 2023 Barbaresco pours a medium ruby hue and offers an elegant perfume with refined tannins and bright acidity. Aromas of ripe raspberries, currants, fresh basil, wildflowers, and delicate graphite emerge from the glass, and the palate is mouthwatering and long, with excellent balance. Production was significantly reduced due to sunburn during the growing season, which led the estate to cut a substantial portion of the fruit. Drink 2028-2050.

95 points Jeb Dunnuck

Bottled in July 2025, the 2023 Barbaresco pours a medium ruby hue and offers an elegant perfume with refined tannins and bright acidity. Aromas of ripe raspberries, currants, fresh basil, wildflowers, and delicate graphite emerge from the glass, and the palate is mouthwatering and long, with excellent balance. Production was significantly reduced due to sunburn during the growing season, which led the estate to cut a substantial portion of the fruit. Drink 2028-2050.

95 points Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

Few names are more closely tied to modern Barbaresco than Gaja. The family established the winery in 1859, but it was Angelo Gaja who pushed both the estate and the appellation onto the international stage from the 1960s onward. His willingness to challenge convention sometimes caused a stir in Piedmont, yet his commitment to Nebbiolo and the vineyards of Barbaresco never wavered. Today the next generation, Gaia and Rossana Gaja, are central to the family business.

The flagship Barbaresco is 100% Nebbiolo and remains the clearest expression of the estate as a whole. Fruit is drawn from a selection of Gaja’s vineyards within the Barbaresco appellation, giving the wine a broader picture of the territory rather than the voice of a single site. The 2023 is still extremely young, with the perfume already seductive but the structure suggesting there is much more to come with time.

Bright garnet red, with sour cherry, raspberry and redcurrant joined by violet, dried rose and blood orange. Anise, fennel and subtle mint sit behind the fruit, followed by black tea, tobacco and a cool earthy note. The palate is taut and finely structured, with beautifully detailed red fruit, lively acidity and firm, powdery tannins. Cherry and orange peel return through the finish alongside liquorice, tea leaf and savoury spice, leaving a long, fragrant impression.

Porcini risotto with plenty of Parmigiano is right in its wheelhouse, as are tajarin with mushrooms, roast duck with cherries, eggplant parmigiana or veal with sage. Our pick is the porcini risotto, although I’d give a young bottle plenty of air before dinner.

Cellaring: Drink from 2029 to 2048+.