Gaja Sperss Langhe 2003

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Angelo Gaja is undoubtedly one of the greatest figures in Italian wine. Born in 1940, he took over the family estate in 1961, which had been established in 1859 in the Langhe hills of Piedmont. This winemaker learned his craft alongside Guido Rivella, a brilliant oenologist from Piedmont. Today, Angelo manages approximately 100 hectares of vineyards and does not purchase any grapes from négociants. His children, Giovanni, Gaia, and Rossana, represent the fifth generation. Gaja has significantly contributed to the international renown of great Piedmontese wines, particularly Barbaresco and Barolo, by distinguishing himself through new winemaking and, above all, aging techniques, considered revolutionary at the time because they broke with the practices then prevalent in the region: selecting the best plots, reducing yields, and aging in new French oak barrels instead of Yugoslavian oak casks. His best plots in Barbaresco now produce some of Italy's greatest wines (Sori Tildin, Sori San Lorenzo, and Costa Russi). He was also the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc instead of Nebbiolo, against the advice of his peers.