Tasted at Roberson’s Gaja vertical. This has a lovely bouquet with ripe strawberry, redcurrant, warm bricks and just a faint touch of pencil shavings. It is a sensual, almost Burgundian nose that whisks you straight to the Piedmont sun. The palate is masculine and tannic on the entry with an attractive saline touch. Youthful and taut, good focus, grippy towards the finish. Very and tensile with a metallic edge on the aftertaste. Afford this Barbaresco 4-5 years to unwind. Drink 2013-2025.

The 2006 Barbaresco reveals terrific concentration, depth and purity. This is a remarkably soft, harmonious Barbaresco from Angelo Gaja with pretty notes of raspberries, crushed flowers and spices. The wine turns more powerful in the glass, as it gains additional richness, volume and depth, all of which carry through to the polished finish. The wine’s balance is impeccable, and this is easily is one the more harmonious, complete wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. - AG

Gaja's straight Barbaresco is consistently one of his most beautiful wines, and this 2006 hits the mark with its rich refinement. There's a mellow scent of anise and cool, truffled earth. Then the finish is all youthful, brooding power; new oak may play a major role in rounding the tannin, but it doesn't get in the way of the wine's expression. This should be accessible with three to four years of cellar time, and will age gracefully for a decade or more.

Tasted at the infancy of what will undoubtedly be a long and generous lifespan, Gaja's 2006 Barbaresco shows enormous promise and potential. The wine is elegant, rigidly linear and pristine, with well-defined notes of ripe berry fruit and soft spice. It's an amazing achievement that tastes compact and opulent at the same time. Drink after 2015.