2014 Barbaresco, Costa Russi, Gaja, Piedmont, Italy

2014 offered a tricky growing season, and some estates produced no single vineyard wines, instead choosing to blend what they had. Barbaresco in general fared better than Barolo. Although this is closed on the nose, the texture is rich and suave, showing breadth of flavour as well as concentration. It's unusually tannic for 2014, but enlivened by spicy notes. It's still rather subdued but has admirable persistence.

Drink 2021 - 2035

The nose is replete here with dried red cherries, almonds, strawberries, glazed cranberries, some leafy nuances and already some tobacco and cigar box. Full-bodied and very layered with such concentration for this vintage. Firm yet sturdy tannins, no shortage of fine acidity and a long, structured finish. Such depth. 

Drink in 2020

The 2014 Barbaresco Costa Russi is a beautiful wine that delivers profound color saturation with deep ruby highlights and blackish intensity. I would describe the nose as being more horizontal rather than vertical, if that makes sense. In other words, the bouquet makes its approach with wide intensity and large-scale aromas of black fruit, spice, tar, leather and licorice. It offers fewer of the sudden high notes or moments of sharpness that you get in 2013.

Despite the common perception that this was a very cool vintage, the fruit here actually tastes riper and rounder than you might expect. That's because the vintage heat all came toward the end of the growing season, and the Gaja family left fruit on the vines to the end. In the mouth, the wine shows depth and finesse with some stubborn firmness at this young stage. It needs to flesh out further with more bottle aging.

Drink 2020 - 2045

Soft contours, silky tannins and sweet, perfumed fruit are some of the signatures in the 2014 Costa Russi. As always, Costa Russi is the most polished and open-knit of these wines in its youth. Succulent fruit, hard candy and lifted, perfumed aromatics give the 2014 considerable early appeal, but I expect time in bottle will work its usual magic. Today, the 2014 is showing only the barest hint of its potential. Even in the early going, though, the Costa Russi is a totally sexy wine.

The Gaja family's 2014 Barbarescos are more than worthy follow ups to the stellar 2013s. The 2014s also show a bit more stylistic cohesion throughout the range than was the case with the 2013s. Overall, the 2014s are defined by their energy, tension and brilliant personalities. As good as Gaja's cru wines are, the straight Barbaresco - which is a blend of many top sites - is as good or nearly as good as those wines. It is also much more accessibly priced, even if none of these wines can be defined as inexpensive. Sadly, yields are down 35% across the board for the 2014s.

Drink 2024 - 2044