Wine Advocate 98 pts, Vinous 98 pts, James Suckling 96 pts, Wine Spectator 95 pts

Angelo Gaja is the most internationally celebrated producer in Piedmont and one of the defining figures of Italian fine wine in the modern era, credited with transforming both the quality and the global reputation of the Langhe’s wines through a combination of uncompromising standards, willingness to challenge convention and an ability to market Italian wine at the level of the great Burgundies and Bordeaux. The Sperss vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba, acquired by Gaja in 1988 after his father’s lifelong ambition to own land in Barolo, takes its name from the Piedmontese dialect word for ‘nostalgia.’ The wine is produced from approximately 12 hectares of Nebbiolo in the Serralunga commune, a site distinguished by its compact, calcareous Helvetian soils that produce Barolos of exceptional firmness, mineral depth and longevity.

The Sperss is classified as Langhe Nebbiolo DOC rather than Barolo DOCG, a deliberate decision by Gaja from 1996 onwards that allowed him to use a small proportion of Barbera in the blend and avoid the strict regulations of the Barolo appellation, though from 2013 the wine returned to full Barolo DOCG status. The 2019 vintage in Piedmont was very warm, producing wines of generous ripeness and accessible fruit character alongside the structural concentration that the finest Serralunga sites reliably deliver even in hot seasons. Gaja’s approach at Sperss combines 12 months in small French barriques followed by 12 months in large casks, a hybrid approach that produces wines of considerable complexity and refinement without sacrificing the grape’s structural character.

Gaja wines receive consistent reviews from all five approved publications, and James Suckling has described the Sperss in the current release cycle as “an austere, restrained wine” of full body, fine-grained tannins and impressive natural acidity, with “best after 2026” as his drinking recommendation. The wine commands secondary market prices that reflect both Gaja’s global reputation and the rarity of genuine Serralunga-sourced Barolo at this level of quality from an estate of this standing.

Deep ruby with an austere and mineral nose of graphite, red currant, dried cherry, blood orange, iron, rose petal and dried herbs from the Serralunga calcareous soils. Full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins, excellent natural acidity and a long, structured, mineral finish of formidable depth. Best from 2027 through 2050.

A wine of stature and breeding, the 2019 Barolo Sperss is pure Serralunga power. Dark toned fruit, lavender, licorice, gravel and crushed rocks soar from the glass. There is plenty of the brooding intensity and tannic heft that are such signatures, but the 2019 is also wonderfully refined. - Vinous