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$GAJA
2013 Gaja, Barolo, Conteisa
Bottle size (ML)
Current price
$1,095
Start Your Wine Collection with 2013 Gaja, Barolo, Conteisa
Begin your portfolio with a prestigious wine that has a history of growth.- Enjoy fully managed, secure storage facilities with insurance coverage.
- Get expert advice on when to hold and when to sell.
Critics Scores
James Suckling
Lots of beautiful aromas of strawberries, cherries, oranges and white chocolate follow through to a full body with a fantastic, dense and chewy mouth feel and a long finish. So precise. Starting drinking in 2022.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Barolo Conteisa is now officially a DOCG wine following years as a Langhe Nebbiolo or IGT wine. The first vintage was 1996 and fruit is sourced from the Cerequio cru in La Morra. This is a classic and coherent expression that is characterized by crunchy fruit flavors and sweet tannins. Fruit came into the winery at very low temperatures and saw slow fermentations. Generally speaking, the 2013 vintage is characterized by slow ripening and a long growing season (unlike 2012 that saw more concentrated heat). This is a balanced and homogenous wine with a softly caressing nature. It offers aromas of citrus, summer fruit and even a touch of watermelon pulp. This wine is usually considered the more immediate of Gaja's two new Barolo wines, yet this vintage surely needs extra time to evolve.
Wine Enthusiast
Star anise, pressed rose petal, aromatic herb and camphor are just some of the aromas you’ll find on this taut, polished red. The firmly structured, elegant palate delivers sour cherry, pomegranate, licorice and ground clove set against a backbone of fine-grained tannins. It’s young but balanced, with bright acidity. Give it time to reach its full potential. Drink 2021–2033.
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2013 Barolo Conteisa (which is the first year it's been classified as a Barolo) is another beautiful, elegant 2013 that has loads of charm. Black cherries, framboise, tobacco, and smoked earth characteristics all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, silky effort that has ripe - even sweet - tannin, no hard edges, and beautiful purity of fruit. It's far from inaccessible but will be better in 2-3 years and keep for two decades.
Region Summary
Critics and collectors have anointed Piedmont (or Piemonte locally) the “Burgundy of Italy,” and with good reason. The region shares a border with France and has adopted many of its neighbor’s more modern winemaking philosophies. Today, local winemakers display a borderline-obsessive focus on small-batch, artisanal wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco.
Why We're Investing
There’s a not-so-secret recipe to produce highly collectible wine. It’s called the law of supply and demand. Piedmont is one of the few regions to have mastered it. Let’s start with supply. Piedmont has earned comparisons to Burgundy for its rarity and exclusivity. Estates primarily produce single-grape wines in minuscule quantities from specialized vineyards. Nebbiolo is the grape of choice in Piedmont, whereas Burgundy favors pinot noir. Take Barolo, for example, an ultra-age-worthy nebbiolo known as the ‘wine of kings and king of wines.’ The sub-region, which produces a wine of the same name, spans fewer than 5,000 acres. That is roughly the size of Burgundy’s Côte de Nuit. Barbaresco is even smaller at one-third the size. Because of the compact geographic area and estates’ commitment to small-scale winemaking, even the most popular Barolo and Barbaresco are constantly in limited supply. The second factor is demand. Like Burgundy, Piedmont has strung together multiple outstanding vintages, most notably in 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2016. Critics have taken note, too. In an interview with Liv-ex, Antonio Galloni said, “interest for Barolo and Piedmont has never been higher.” Glowing critic scores have led to a swell in demand for Piedmontese wine, especially for internationally renowned names like Gaja and Giacomo Conterno. Now, here is where the similarities between Burgundy and Piedmont end. While Burgundy dominates any list of the most expensive wines, Piedmont remains relatively affordable and under the radar. That’s despite the two regions’ comparable critic scores, wine quality, and centuries of tradition. Top Barolo and Barbaresco are roughly a quarter of the price of red Burgundy and half the price of first-growth Bordeaux. The reason? Most of the vineyards in Piedmont are family-owned. Meanwhile, other prominent wine regions, like Napa Valley and Tuscany, have grown through corporate investments that have resulted in corresponding price surges. This dichotomy makes Piedmont an enigma. Even though the region has some of the world’s top cult estates, most of its wines have relatively affordable price tags and attractive value. As a result, anyone looking to access the fine wine market without spending a fortune can take solace in Piedmont.
What's the Latest
Tuscany has long been the bellwether of the Italian fine wine market. That’s changing. Piedmont continues to gain market share thanks to its brand strength and consummate quality. According to Liv-ex, Piedmont accounts for 43.4 of Italy’s total trade, a figure that was a mere 11.4 in 2015. The surge in interest has corresponded with a rise in prices for top Piedmontese wine. The Liv-ex Italy 100 index recorded 9.2 growth in 2022, the third-best market among all indices last year. That’s no fluke, either. The Italy 100 has grown 303 in its first 19 years, which translates to an average annualized return of 7.58.
Looking Forward
Piedmont may be small, but it is mighty. It has all the hallmarks of an investment-worthy region, including brand equity, consistent quality, and low volume. Each year, more critics and collectors recognize that Piedmont’s top wines are on par with elite ones in France and California, and the prices have followed. Collectors would be wise to add Piedmontese wines while prices remain accessible. Piedmont has made impressive strides in the last decade and should benefit from technological innovations like transparent marketplaces and automated trading. This modernization would bring more attention to the region and improve liquidity. If volume and value continue their upward trend, look for Piedmont to close the gap on Tuscany in trade share in the coming years.