Gaja Barbaresco Costa Russi 2005

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Varietal: 95% Nebbiolo, 5% Barbera
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont
Sub-Region: Langhe

IWC

This vineyard lies a few steps from Sori Tildin. Purchased by the Gaja family in 1967, it derives its name from the term "costa," the side of the hill that faces the sun, and "Russi," the nickname of the former owner.

The color is dark ruby/purple.

It has a captivating aroma and refined nose with well-integrated aromas of blackberries, violets and roasted coffee beans.

Elegance and crystal purity characterize this extremely complex and densely woven wine with an aging potential of decades.

Reviews:
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"There’s fabulous fruit on the nose, which is very pure, with crushed blackberry and blueberry. Full-bodied, with superrefined tannins and a long, caressing finish. A very classy wine. This is so long and beautiful. Lasts for minutes on the palate. Best after 2014. " -Rated 96, Wine Spectator
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"The 2005 Costa Russi shimmers on the palate with extraordinary grace. The wine boasts wonderful depth and richness in its dark red fruit in a round, generous style that offers lovely balance to the tannins. Notes of tar, smoke and licorice develop in the glass, adding a touch of complexity and nuance that is sometimes missing in this bottling. The French oak is present, but deftly balanced with the wine’s other components. As always, Costa Russi comes across as relatively accessible when young, but it is sure to only improve with age. Recent bottles of the 1985 have been nothing short of glorious. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030. I was blown away by Angelo Gaja’s 2005 wines from Barbaresco. When all is said and done, Gaja may have well produced not the wine, but rather the wines of the vintage in a year that was excellent but not profound. While Gaja’s 2005 don’t have the explosive, multi-dimensional personalities of his 2004s, they are vibrant offerings that will thrill readers who love Piedmont wines. As always, Gaja blends in a small percentage of Barbera in his single-vineyard wines, but that is hardly noticeable in this vintage. I also noted less new oak than has generally been the case in the recent past. The wines showcase very pure expressions of Nebbiolo and are made in a style that appears to make fewer concessions to the decidedly international approach of previous vintages. In short, these are the most Piedmontese wines I have tasted from Angelo Gaja in a long time. Could it be that the greatest innovator in Piedmont over the last thirty five-plus years has taken a small step towards a more classic style?" -Rated 96, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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"Full ruby-red. Dark raspberry, minerals, rose petal and a whiff of tar on the nose, along with a chocolatey impression of ripeness. Dense, suave and youthfully closed, with the flavors of violet, minerals and chocolatey oak displaying increasing definition with aeration. Showing its oaky side today and tannic on the back end. " -Rated 90, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

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