Gaja Sperss Barolo 2015

Vibrant and intense notes of herbs and spices such as thyme, cloves and black pepper. On the palate the wine is tense, loaded with energy that will need serious ageing to fully develop although extremely approachable in its youth. Impressive fruit concentration, with dark and ripe fruits – prunes and black cherries. Acidity and tannins lift this wine to its freshest expression.

Nebbiolo based wines have not only complexity and structure but also great elegance and finesse. The distinctive silky tannins of the Nebbiolo make it the right wine to drink with meat. Usually a young vintage goes very well with richer dishes because of the stronger tannins; mature Barolos are more suitable with delicate white meat courses or braised meat courses with sauces or concentrated red wines reductions.

100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck     The 2015 Barolo Sperss is another smoking good 2015 that shows the sunny warmth of the vintage in its massive bouquet of blackcurrants, kirsch liqueur, red plums, Asian spices, violets, and flowery incense. It reminds me of the incredible 1997, and Barolo doesn't get any more sexy or opulent. This brilliant, full-bodied wine has ripe, velvety tannins, beautiful depth of fruit, and a great finish. It needs a solid hour in a decanter if drinking any time soon and will benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age. It should drink brilliantly over the following 25-30 years. 

98 Points - Vinous    The 2015 Barolo Sperss shows all of the darkness and muscle that are so typical of Serralunga. Black cherry, plum, licorice, incense, gravel, cured meats and scorched earth infuse this potent, backward wine with tremendous character. My impression is that the extraction and oak are all a bit more pushed here relative to the other wines in the range. 

98 Points - Wine & Spirits     In the 2015 vintage, Sperss is like a strong and supple thoroughbred, balancing Serralunga’s muscular tannins with taut, fluid red-fruit tones. Notes of thyme, fennel frond and orange peel bring it freshness, while the girding of cool iron and graphite tones promise that this will reward a decade or more of cellaring.

97 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate     In the 2015 Barolo Sperss, you can taste the iron rust and minerality that is so specific to the soils of Serralunga d'Alba where this wine is born. It is very bold and represents the more powerful of these two wines from Barolo. Cerequio is always the more floral, while the Sperss has an immediate cherry and some lingering, bold, blackberry aromas that make a strong impact. However, this wine does not have the austerity of a classic Barolo. Instead it shows a richer texture and it casts a wider net of flavors. Serralunga d'Alba fruit is marked by stronger concentration and ripeness, with a very firm and unyielding quality of tannin that should hold the wine steady as it moves through its aging evolution. This is a truly beautiful albeit brawny Nebbiolo.

97 Points - James Suckling     Very ripe strawberry and cherry aromas with undertones of flowers and cedar. Hints of fresh leather, too. Full body and round, soft tannins with lots of intensity at the finish. Round and fruity, yet always reserved. Needs time to come completely together.

95 Points - Wine Spectator     A broad, powerful style, full of well-defined plum, cherry, licorice, leather, iron and tobacco flavors. The smooth texture adds refinement. Exhibits refinement despite the breadth. The fine, lingering aftertaste picks up elements of wild herbs and spices. Best from 2023 through 2045.