Gaja Sperss Barolo 2020

Sperss translates to “nostalgia” in local dialect. This was the first step outside Barbaresco for the Gaja family, and a project dear to Angelo Gaja and his father, Giovanni Gaja. In 1988 the Gaja family purchased twelve hectares of vineyard in one of the best positions in Serralunga. The land was named Sperss, a Piedmontese dialect word meaning nostalgia, that of Giovanni Gaja (Angelo’s father) for the childhood memories linked with Serralunga.

The 2020 vintage wines have precise, complex fruit expressions and clean, elegant aromas. A memorable vintage for us. In 2020, rain was atypically distributed, concentrating in summer rather than winter and spring. Most winter rain fell in November, including early snowfall on the 15th, mitigating the drought from December to March. Winter temperatures were mild, especially in January 2020. Cold temperatures below freezing arrived mid-March and lasted a month, but no frost damage occurred. Apart from heat peaks in late May, August, and mid-September, May to early October had alternating warm days and thunderstorms followed by cooler days. Despite frequent summer thunderstorms, none of our vineyards were damaged by hail for the first time in years. Significant temperature variations in September and October favored the color, aromas, and health of the grapes. Nebbiolo’s harvest started on September 18th and finished on October 8th with great satisfaction.