12 Bottles Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino 2018 750ML
12 Bottles of Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino 2018 750ML
Sauvignon Blanc from Langhe, Piedmont, Italy
Reviews and Accolades
94 Points/James Suckling
Sliced pears and limes with some pear blossom aromas. Hints of fennel. Medium body. Pretty phenolics. Spicy and tangy finish. Some lemon zest. 60% in stainless with the rest in barrels. Uses some fruit from Alto Langa. Drink or hold.
About the Winery
Perched atop a steep hill in the Langhe sits the small village of Barbaresco, home of the GAJA winery. The story of the GAJA Winery can be traced to a singular, founding purpose: to produce original wines with a sense of place which reflect the tradition and culture of those who made it. This philosophy has inspired five generations of impeccable winemaking. It started over 150 years ago when Giovanni Gaja opened a small restaurant in Barbaresco, making wine to complement the food he served. In 1859, he founded the Gaja Winery, producing some of the first wine from Piedmont to be bottled and sold outside the region. Since that time, the winery has been shaped by each generation’s hand, notably that of Clotilde Rey, Angelo Gaja’s grandmother. Her passion for uncompromising quality influenced and informed Angelo Gaja. Through Angelo, these values have become the cornerstone of the GAJA philosophy and are engrained in every aspect of wine production
In 1961, Angelo Gaja began his mission of bringing this great winery to an even higher level. He was the first to use barriques, 225-liter French oak barrels. Under his direction, GAJA pioneered the production of single-vineyard designated wines and was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc varietals in Piedmont. He was also instrumental in elevating the native Nebbiolo grape to world-class esteem.
Angelo Gaja is joined by the fifth generation of the GAJA family – his daughters Gaia and Rossana and his son Giovanni. Together they continue to advance the winery’s legacy. To fully realize their vision, all GAJA wines are produced exclusively from grapes grown in estate-owned vineyards, including 250 acres in Piedmont’s Barbaresco and Barolo districts as well as estates in Pieve Santa Restituta (Montalcino) and Ca’Marcanda (Bolgheri). It is from these storied vineyards, and their terroir – the combination of soil, weather and vines that grow upon them, that GAJA wines reveal their true heart and soul.
Pieve Santa Restituta is Gaja’s estate in Montalcino, purchased in 1994. It is the family’s first expansion outside the Barbaresco and Barolo areas since its establishment in 1859. The estate spans 86 under vines. Located in a particularly privileged position, facing south and south-west, the estate has an altitude ranging from 1,050 to 1,150 feet above sea level. The hills, of the Eocene age and facing the sea, are characterized by an extremely windy, dry and bright microclimate, preventing damp stagnation and allowing full grape ripening.
Since 1994 several redevelopment works have been carried out in the vineyards to transform the vine growing methods in line with Gaja’s winemaking philosophy.
The name of the winery derives from the ancient Pieve (church), situated in the middle of the estate, whose foundations date back to the 4th century AD. The labels chosen for the wines pay tribute to the Pieve and recall the typical colors of the Gaja family, i.e. black and white.
Wine has been made here since the 12th century. Pieve Santa Restituta produces three Brunello di Montalcino wines: Rennina, Sugarille and Brunello di Montalcino.
The Brunello is a combination of all the vineyards in Pieve Santa Restituta. The grapes from the different vineyards ferment and macerate separately for around three weeks. After 24 months of ageing in oak, the wines are blended and then aged for another six months in concrete vats.
This classic Brunello displays a light ruby-red color typical of a cooler vintage. The nose is herbal as evidenced by the Mediterranean scrub notes of thyme and rosemary along with a hint of balsamic, which opens to red berry aromas of cherry and plum. There are hints of pine resin and sweet notes of vanilla bean. The palate shows a balance of acidity and fruit with sweet, enveloping tannins that will ripen over time. This wine drinks beautifully now but will reward those who chose to age it.