Barolo “Sperss” DOCG 2021 · Double MAGNUM in OWC

Angelo Gaja | Piedmont
Az. Agr. Gaja | Via Torino 36 | IT 12050 Barbaresco

05234921 · 3 l · 999,67 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping1 unit available
Limitation of 1 articles per customer

Sperss. The word sounds like a sigh, like a breath of melancholy wafting over the hills of Piedmont. In the local dialect, it means nostalgia, longing, homesickness for a time that will never return. When Angelo Gaja was finally able to acquire the twelve hectares in Serralunga d'Alba in 1988, which his father Giovanni had raved about since his youth, there was only one possible name for this wine. Sperss was the fulfilment of a family dream – the first Barolo from the Gaja family, the step out of Barbaresco into the legendary terrain that Giovanni had already learnt about as a young man during the grape harvest. The Marenca and Rivette vineyards form a natural amphitheatre at an altitude of 370 metres – compact, calcareous marl that gives the wine the mineral depth and iron structure for which Serralunga is famous. Here, where the over 50-year-old Nebbiolo vines drive their roots deep into the stony soil, the wine is not a pleasant one.

The hand-picked Nebbiolo grapes undergo a three-week maceration in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine then matures for 12 months in French barriques, followed by a further 12 months in large oak barrels. After bottling, Sperss is left to mature for several months in the cellar before being released onto the market. This double maturation – the combination of barrique elegance and the structuring power of large barrels – gives the wine its characteristic balance of concentration and finesse.

Sperss is masculine, powerful, unyielding – an archetype of the great, long-lasting Barolo. The 2021 reveals this strength of character from the very first moment: In the glass, it glows a deep ruby red colour, almost impenetrable. The nose is an expedition through dark worlds – rusty iron, damp earth, black cherries, truffles, rhubarb and liquorice, underpinned by that unmistakable scent of tar and rose petals that makes the great Nebbiolo so distinctive. On the palate, there is this austere texture, this full body, this dense concentration of ripe dark fruit, framed by fine-grained but powerful tannins. The minerality of the Serralunga terroir runs through the wine like a red thread – salty, stony, precise. Sperss demands patience. It demands time. Those who give it this time will be rewarded with a wine that can last for decades and only gains in complexity in the process. This is not a wine for the moment – this is a wine for eternity. SUPERIORE.DE

"Smells of blackcurrants and menthol; powerful, long-lasting texture, the acidity is concise and in harmony with the powdery tannins, great length, combines character and finesse. Still needs to mature!" Vinum

"Intensely sparkling ruby colour with a fine garnet sheen. Compact nose, opens with notes of dried rose petals, plums and cranberries. Concentrated and full-bodied on the palate, shows beautifully ripe fruit, opens with full-bodied, very well-placed tannins, brooding and long, earthy components on the final, made for a long life." Falstaff

"An austere, restrained wine with aromas of graphite, redcurrants, strawberries, red cherries and blood oranges. Full-bodied, it shows youthful character, citrus and roasted flavours, crisp acidity and firm, dusty but fine-grained tannins. Tart finish, but in a positive way." James Suckling

"Tantalising aromas of red fruits such as cherry, strawberry and rose are the highlights of this taut red wine, which is overshadowed by notes of iron, mint and tobacco, with great harmony and a long, chalky finish. Everything is in the right place, but it still needs time." Wine Spectator

"The Barolo Sperss 2021 is a big, dense wine. Black fruits, graphite, scorched earth, tobacco and incense emerge, but only very hesitantly. This powerful Serralunga Barolo packs an enormous punch. A classic Serralunga through and through." Vinous

"The Gaja 2021 Barolo Sperss, whose fruit comes from Serralunga d'Alba, is characterised by a pronounced ferrous note of rusty nails or soft earth framing a core of dark fruit. The wine is exceptionally balanced and beautiful, with depth and a high degree of fruit purity. Unlike the Conteisa, which finishes on a sweeter, floral note, this wine is decidedly salty and stony on the finish, giving it a harder structure." Wine Advocate