2017 Gaja Sperss Barolo
Gaja
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- Free local delivery, with no minimum order, by our own team — usually Tuesday or Wednesday. Cottesloe, Claremont, Mosman Park, Peppermint Grove, Nedlands, Subiaco, Floreat, City Beach, East Fremantle, North Fremantle, Melville and Bicton — postcodes 6008, 6009, 6010, 6011, 6012, 6014, 6015, 6156, 6157, 6158 and 6159.
- Free click and collect from 12 Station Street, Cottesloe. Orders placed before 12pm are usually ready the same day.
- Australia-wide — $20 flat rate with Australia Post, or Express from $75.
Average Critic Score: 96.0/100 based on 4 critic reviews
Sperss, meaning nostalgia in Piedmontese dialect, is Gaja's flagship Barolo from Serralunga d'Alba, the commune known for the most powerful and long-lived Nebbiolo in the zone. The 2017 Gaja Sperss Barolo carries that Serralunga signature of iron, tar and dark cherry into a wine of real muscle and depth, and the critics took notice: 98 points from James Suckling, 96 points from Monica Larner (Wine Advocate), and 95 points each from Antonio Galloni (Vinous) and Wine Spectator.
Very intense aromas of roasted hazelnuts with dried flowers, tar and fruit. Full-bodied and very tight with a solid core of chewy yet refined tannins, this is a classically proportioned Barolo that displays superb structure and length. A thoroughly great wine. - James Suckling (98 pts)
Suggested drinking window: 2025 - 2048 (Wine Spectator).
Critic Reviews
98 Points - James Suckling
“Very intense aromas of roasted hazelnuts with dried flowers, tar and fruit. Full-bodied and very tight with a solid core of chewy yet refined tannins, this is a classically proportioned Barolo that displays superb structure and length. A thoroughly great wine. Try after 2025.”
96 Points - Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
“Following so quickly after the celestial 2016 vintage, this Gaja 2017 Barolo Sperss shows muscle and brawn; however, the Conteisa holds its own in terms of aromatic complexity. With fruit from Serralunga d'Alba, that added concentration and determination are expected, especially in a hot and dry vintage such as 2017. Here you get dark cherry fruit with cassis and wild plum. There are also floral aromas that veer toward red rose more than they do violets or blue flowers. And, of course, you get some of those iron-rich or mineral notes of rusty nail or iron that are often associated with Sperss.”
95 Points - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2017 Barolo Sperss is a powerful, backward wine. In 2017 Sperss is not as huge as in some previous years, but then again, the move towards greater finesse has been in place for some time now. In tasting, Sperss feels more extracted and tannic than Conteisa (even after allowing for the clear differences in site), with a strong oak imprint that is also pretty evident. Sage, tobacco, scorched earth and spice meld into a core of dark Serralunga fruit in this imposing Barolo from Gaja. Give it a few years to soften.”
95 Points - Wine Spectator
“A fluid style, this red displays cherry, raspberry, currant, earth and tobacco flavors. Iron and tar accents join in as the dense swath of tannins adds closure. Overall, this is light on its feet, intense and lively, hanging together nicely. Best from 2025 through 2048. 1,500 cases made.”