Gaja Darmagi 2017

A wide bouquet that reveals itself little by little. Notes of cassis and quince, followed by tamarind and a fresh vegetal hint of tomato leaf in the finish. Velvety and juicy on the palate, with notes of black currant and fresh plum, which lead to a spicy finish, as black pepper and cloves. Darmagi is very fruity and quite fleshy but maintains a great elegance. 

600 mm of rain fell from November 2016 to April 2017, thus creating the ideal water supply for the growing season, which, combined with the warm second half of March (average temperatures of 30- 35°C), led to an early bud break of 15 days. On April 17th, a hailstorm unusually hit the Barbaresco region, but luckily, none of our vineyards got damaged. The drop in temperatures favoured three days of frost that, combined with strong cold winds (temperatures around -3°C), severely damaged many of the Nebbiolo grapes in the Barbaresco area, causing the loss of 10% of the overall production and slowing down the vegetative cycle. From June, one of the warmest and driest summers of the last 10 years set off. The average daily temperature was 33-34°C, with peaks up to 41°C in July. In Barbaresco, there was no rain for 73 days; these warm temperatures and drought slowed down the vegetative growth. During spring, our vineyards in Barolo also suffered a bit from frost, but luckily, no hailstorm occurred. The hot summer was more humid than in Barbaresco, with 40 mm of rain falling on September 2nd, which decreased temperatures, and it has been providential to reach a full ripeness of grapes even if slightly irregular. Overall, 2017 was a year of thermal stress, firstly due to the spring frosts and secondly due to the warm summer temperatures. Despite these thermal and water stress, the vines adapted optimally to these extreme conditions by decreasing their canopy size, bunches and berries. The vines have naturally produced a lower quantity, the drop of the production has been estimated around 30%. The grapes increased their concentration, developed thicker skins, higher acidity and tannins, and intense aromas, flavours and colours without reaching excessive levels of potential alcohol. Generally speaking, the 2017 vintage has created both red and white wines with surprising freshness.