The Gaja Gaia & Rey Langhe DOP 2017 stands as a pinnacle of Italian white wine crafted from ‘Chardonnay’, a testament to the visionary brilliance of the GAJA winery in Piedmont, northwestern Italy. Widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest wine estates, GAJA produces iconic, collectible wines.
This wine reveals a luminous straw-yellow color with golden reflections, hinting at its depth and elegance. The palate is rich and persistent, offering a harmonious balance of ripe fruit and vibrant acidity, culminating in a refined, mineral-driven finish that lingers with freshness.
"Gaia & Rey" is sourced from the Treiso and Serralunga d’Alba vineyards, spanning select parcels of roughly 3 hectares (7.5 acres), rooted in calcareous marl and limestone-rich soils.
Fermentation begins in stainless steel and oak, followed by aging in French barriques.
Serve at 8-10 °C with pasta, shellfish, mature and hard cheese, lean fish, cured meat.
This wine was first made in 1983, and back then, no malolactic fermentation occurred. Jump forward in time to the 2017 Langhe Gaia & Rey, and this is another vintage in which malo did not start. (Partial malolactic returns in 2018). Since those first years of production, the oak usage has also been tweaked, now with less barrique in favor of more botte grande. Thanks to these changes, the aromatic profile of this wine veers toward citrus and rich tropical fruit, especially in a warm vintage such as this. However counterintuitive, this edition also shows a very bright and precise touch of acidity that serves to give the wine balanced and mouth-cleansing salinity.
The Gaja family settled in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy in the mid-17th century. They have been producing wine in the Barbaresco area since 1859. Four generations of dedicated work and a noble pursuit of making top-quality wines have made the Gaja name synonymous with Italian winemaking excellence worldwide. Today, the fifth generation – Gaia, Giovanni, and Rossana Gaja – continues the family traditions, leading this legendary winery.
Currently, Gaja in Piedmont produces both classic expressions of the ‘Nebbiolo’ grape – Barbarescos and Barolos – and innovative “Langhe DOC” red and white wines from international grape varieties. The family also owns two estates in Tuscany: “Ca’Marcanda” in Bolgheri, famous for its “Super Tuscan” wines, and “Pieve S. Restituta” in the Montalcino area, producing “Brunello di Montalcino” wines. Additionally, a joint project with Alberto Graci in Sicily, at the foot of Mount Etna, testifies to the family’s constant pursuit of innovation and quality.
The Gaja family firmly believes that the true spirit and quality of wine are born in the vineyards themselves. Therefore, the greatest attention is paid to vineyard care: searching for climate change-resistant clones, limiting yields, growing other crops between vineyard rows to enrich the soil and help retain moisture and protect the harvest from heat. The highest quality standards are applied to all farms: grapes are grown only in family-owned vineyards, adhering to ecological and sustainability principles, with particular attention to soil quality and biodiversity.
Wine Style
Gaja wines are characterized by elegance, complexity, and perfectly reflect the terroir of their origin regions.
Prestigious Vineyards
The Gaja family owns prestigious vineyards in the Piedmont and Tuscany regions:
Aging and Consumption Period
Gaja wines are characterized by an excellent balance, allowing them to be enjoyed both young and mature. They have immense potential to age and develop over time, revealing new nuances of their character.
