Gaia & Rey 2024 Gaja

Tasting Note Gaia & Rey 2024

Initial aromas of lemon zest and white peach give way to chalky, almost limestone-like nuances that form the foundation of the fruit-driven bouquet. The palate of the Gaia & Rey 2024 is refined rather than opulent, and the oak is perceived more as texture than as aroma. Acidity defines the finish, which is long and dry. Details stand out more than body, this Langhe Chardonnay wine from Gaja exhibits precisely these characteristics in its first few years. It is still young, and this is evident in its flavor.

Grape Varieties

The Gaia & Rey is made from 100% Chardonnay.

Gaja was the first in the region to plant Chardonnay in Piemonte, and with that Gaia & Rey became the first wine released and produced from Chardonnay in Italy which was aged in small French oak barrels. Since Chardonnay attains a lot of its flavour from terrior, the limestone and marl of Langhe come to the forefront. In 2024, this manifests as nuances of citrus and stone fruits rather than tropical fruits.

Cellaring Potential

This wine will be at its best between 2027 and 2040. Acidity forms the foundation here. Serve at a temperature of 10-13 °C. Although this is a cooler temperature than for red wine, be careful not to serve it too cold, as if it had just been taken out of the refrigerator. At this stage, it's best to let the wine rest in the glass for about 30 minutes to allow its aromas to develop.

About Gaja

Ask a wine merchant which Italian producer has become the most important in the last 50 years. The answer will be immediate: Gaja. Angelo Gaja took over the company in 1961 and did what no one had done before him at Barbaresco. Temperature-controlled stainless steel. French Barrique. A bottling of single vineyard wine; in 1979 he also planted Chardonnay, which his neighbors thought was crazy. Today, his children Gaia, Rossana and Giovanni are responsible for the day-to-day management of the business. Best of Wines offers Gaja's wines, whose consistency from vintage to vintage is unrivaled.

Terroir & Climate

The Rey vineyard is located in Treiso, one of the highest communes in the Barbaresco zone, at about 350 meters above sea level. Why is altitude important for Chardonnay? Cool nights. The climate in Piemonte is continental, with hot summer days, but at Treiso altitude the temperature drops sharply after sunset, preserving acidity in the grapes that would otherwise be reduced in warmer climates. The soil is calcareous marl from the Tortonian, the same bluish-gray marl that gives the best Langhe wines tension and length.

Winemaking

The decisive choice here is barrel work. Gaja ferments Gaia & Rey in French oak barriques and then ages it for several months in the same wood until malolactic fermentation is complete (turning the pungent malic acid into soft lactic acid and imparting creaminess). Why barriques and not steel? Angelo wanted not only fruitiness, but also texture and length. The barrels, however, are not the screaming, vanilla-soaked California style of the 1980s. The new oak is restrained enough to allow Treiso's fruit and acidity to still drive the wine. It is this balance that is key.

Food Pairing

This wine has body and a firm oak backbone, so it needs food that can stand up to it. Try it:

• Fonduta with white truffles from Alba.
• Vitello tonnato, the tuna sauce loves the acidity of the wine.
• Risotto with porcini mushrooms, butter and sage.
• Roasted chicken with herbs and aged robiola cheese

Serve at 11-13°C. The flavors fade when too cold, and become heavy when too warm.