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94 WA. "Darmagi loves a warm vintage. The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Darmagi embraces the summer warmth like a happy sponge. This wine is faithfully true to the variety, with intensely dark fruit followed by dried cassis, exotic spice and green laurel leaf. There is a point of succulent sweetness in the mouth that is uniquely specific to this hot vintage. The wine is seamless and smooth in texture with solid structure on the close. The vines suffered from stripe disease (GLSD). This reduced the capacity of the plant's foliar system. Gaia Gaja tells me they were able to harvest from the healthy parts of the vines to make this beautiful wine. The Gaja family is about to embark on a new chapter dedicated to white wines. They purchased property in Alta Langa (about 15 kilometers from Barbaresco) in Mango. Vine altitudes boast a huge range, spanning from 280 to 700 meters in altitude, and the area has chalky white soils (à la Côte Blonde) that you don't get in the land of Barolo and Barbaresco. Angelo Gaja and his family purchased four hectares for Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Their portfolio is mostly based on reds (Barbaresco, Barolo, Brunello, Bolgheri and Etna). I have no doubt that Gaja Midas Touch will apply to whites as well. Will sparkling wine be next?" Monica Larner, Wine Advocate #237, Jun 2018 |