Gaja - Barbaresco 2022 (750ml)
James Suckling: 96 Points
Fresh and restrained wine with an exquisite mix of graphite orange peel dried cherries and strawberries as well as whiffs of potpourri and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied it displays velvety ripe tannins with tight-knit acidity and a juicy style despite the more biting finish. Drinkable now but best from 2026.
Kerin O'Keefe: 95 Points
The fragrant 2022 Barbaresco from Gaja entices with alluring aromas of ripe berry blue flower and a whiff of talcum powder. Succulent and generous the smooth savory palate doles out juicy dark cherry crushed raspberry star anise and a hint of baking spice alongside polished tannins. It?s already accessible but will also several years or more of fine sipping. Enjoy through 2034. Abv: 14.5% Kerin O?Keefe April 2025 ©kerinokeefe.com
Jeb Dunnuck: 95 Points
All of Gaja?s 2022s have a good richness of color with a jeweled ruby hue and the 2022 Barbaresco is fresh and ripe on the nose with lovely purity and a layered feel. The nose is spicy with notes of wild strawberries candied orange white pepper and fresh flowers. The palate has a rounded feel but from the start has refreshing acidity and an elegant tapering finish. The tannins are ripe and defined without being aggressive. Drink 2026-2046.
Wine Advocate: 94-96 Points
During my visit to the Gaja winery I had the opportunity to preview a few upcoming wines. One of these is the 2022 Barbaresco. This hot vintage required extra work in the vineyard to maintain leaves for shade. The 2022 vintage also saw a tiny 10% whole-cluster fruit which continues an experimentation started in 2021 (however not realized in the 2023 vintage which was more challenging in terms of fruit selection). Work with whole cluster adds impressions of freshness says Giovanni Gaja and reduced some of the impact of the alcohol. Nonetheless this vintage was down 10% to 15% in terms of yields with smaller hard berries. This is an amply concentrated wine with lovely dimension richness and tannins that lean on the sweet side.
