NEW RELEASE - 99 Pts
In 1988, Gaja acquired this 12ha vineyard in one of Serralunga’s best areas and named it ‘Sperss’ meaning nostalgia, for the childhood memories of Angelo’s father Giovanni who harvested the site as a boy. After spending 30 months in barrel the result is a densely textured, dark and brooding wine laced with ripe red fruit notes and hints of liquorice and truffles.
“The 2019 Barolo Sperss is rich with dark mineral earth, black cherry, and Earl Grey tea. Long and mouthwatering, it has a powerful structure while retaining finesse. It is fantastically balanced, with gripping tannins, fresh acidity, and notes of forested earth and ripe red berries. A wine for the long haul, this is another great and noble wine to drink over the coming three decades..”
99 | jebdunnuck.com | May 2023
“Very well integrated tannins that spread across the palate and give tension and form to the wine. Medium to full body. Chewy and juicy. Needs time to soften. Better after 2028.”
96 | James Suckling | July 2023
The Barolo wines from the 2019 vintage are classic and austere while young with firm tannins and high acidity and possess excellent aging potential.
Climate and harvest: Scarce snowfalls during the winter months were the precursor to a dry spell. January and February continued to be dry with average to low temperatures. These optimal conditions helped to protect against the onset of diseases. Abundant rainfall (200 mm) with average to low temperatures (15-17°C) occurred in April and May. At the end of June, the temperatures rose sharply (from 26 degrees to 41.5°C for about 3 days) and caused stress to the plants with signs of browning appearing on the leaves. From mid-July onwards, the first significant rains set in with 200 mm falling in Barbaresco. Temperatures settled at around 26-30° degrees for the rest of the summer. More rain fell resulting in a total of 800 mm from the beginning of the year to the end of August. The soil with a high water content plus the warm temperatures allowed the phenolic ripening to progress. We started the harvest in Barbaresco at the same time as the harvest in Barolo, but the harvest was shorter in Barolo, starting at the beginning of October and finishing on October 20.
Tasting notes: Sperss is a rich and lush wine with a nose of black fruits and elderberries. The palate shows soft tannins with a full mouthfeel. Silky, voluptuous, and velvety in the mouth, it has a very long, dry finish.
Vineyards: The Sperss vineyard is located in the Marenca-Rivette sub-area in the municipality of Serralunga. The land, arranged as an amphitheatre on a surface of 12 hectares, consists of very compact clay-calcareous marls and has south and south-west facing exposure with an average altitude of 370 m above sea level. The vines are 55 years old on average.
Appellation: Barolo D.O.P.
Grape varieties: 100% Nebbiolo.
Winemaking method: Fermentation and maceration for around three weeks followed by ageing in oak for 24 months.
First vintage produced 1988.
