The Gaja family’s bold, design-centric labels stood out on shelves before such adornments became a bonafide wine world trend. You’d understand if you stopped by their winery. Gaja’s Barbaresco (open to visits in exchange for a charitable donation) and brand-new Alta Langa winery are filled with post-modern furniture from Italian icons like Scarpa, Bellini and Sottsass.
Their wines are equally inspired by past and present. They’re precise—Barolos and Barbarescos people dream about. White wines that make a strong case for considering things that aren’t Piedmontese reds. Which are what they’re known for. The Gaja family has been deeply rooted in Piedmontese culture since the mid-1850s, when the family started traveling to France and brought back a more serious sensibility to their wines.
The shook up the industry with the release of the 1967 Sori San Lorenzo, a single-vineyard wine–something few were doing at the time. You can now drink across their single vineyard-wines, sourced from impeccably-kept plots in the best areas of Barbaresco and Barolo, and Sori San Lorenzo remains entrancing. Pure, generous, and lustrous., and resplendent with pressed roses, wild strawberries and herbs, it’s an exceptional bottle at a decidedly exclusive price point. $700
Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.
