Gaja Gaia & Rey 2020

This celebrated Chardonnay sees 80% malolactic fermentation and ages in oak for 20 months. The Gaja 2020 Langhe Gaia & Rey is beautifully generous and round. There wasn't enough acidity to do malos in 2017, 2018 and 2019, so those wines are drying to the palate and less generous overall. However, this vintage brings us back to a more opulent and creamy expression of the grape. The wine is redolent of tropical fruits, apricot, beeswax and crushed mineral. It shows good structure (but not as firm as 2016), and it also has a gentle side.

A wine that started a movement when it was first released in 1983, "Gaia & Rey" continues to set the standard of Chardonnay in the Langhe. Reserved at first, the wine opens with white floral aromas mixed with ripe orchard fruits that evolve into nutty and chalky mineral notes. The palate is well balanced with vibrant acidity that keeps the wine lively with each sip. Drink now-2035.