A restrained wine with vibrant wild strawberries, lemon tree, a whiff of eucalyptus and potpourri. Medium- to full-bodied, it’s very classic and fresh. Tannins are firm and dusty yet ripe, with ferrous, savory notes. The polished finish is reminiscent of licorice and full of harmony. Drink or hold. Aldo Fiordelli Senior Editor

95+ Bottled in July 2025, the 2023 Barbaresco pours a medium ruby hue and offers an elegant perfume with refined tannins and bright acidity. Aromas of ripe raspberries, currants, fresh basil, wildflowers, and delicate graphite emerge from the glass, and the palate is mouthwatering and long, with excellent balance. Production was significantly reduced due to sunburn during the growing season, which led the estate to cut a substantial portion of the fruit. Drink 2028-2050.

The Gaia 2023 Barbaresco, made with Nebbiolo from 14 estate vineyards, entices with scents of rose, iris, menthol and dark culinary spice. Ethereally elegant, the lithe palate offers succulent red cherry, spiced orange slice, star anise and crushed mint set against fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity keeps it racy.

Showing a pretty ruby appearance, the Gaja 2023 Barbaresco impresses with the extraordinary finesse and focus of its aromas. The bouquet is beautifully linear with delicate notes of wild cherry, rose and sweet spice that unfold with precision. The palate is open and charming, reflecting the warm vintage with a gentle sweetness of fruit, yet it never loses the elegance or structural definition that have long distinguished this benchmark wine. The tannins are seamlessly integrated, and despite the year's heat, the wine remains graceful and refined. The 2023 growing season, with its cooler August followed by renewed warmth, appears to have allowed the vines to adapt more successfully than in 2022, resulting in a wine that balances ripe fruit with freshness and poise.

Despite extreme summer heat, the excessive rain in spring generated big berries with lots of juice, according to Gaia Gaja. Rather than translating as dilution, the estate Barbaresco is beautifully proportioned. It conveys a sense of ethereal weightlessness and delicacy with strength. Starting from aromas of cedar and rooibos tea, it evolves to cinnamon, cardamom and spring flowers. Midweight and streamlined, this stretches out with long, silky tannins effortlessly enfolding bright forest berries. Accents of clove and star anise are neatly embedded. A zesty finish explodes with spiced citrus. It feels ready to drink yet is not in a hurry.

The 2023 Barbaresco is a gorgeous, open-knit wine from the Gaja family. Soft, silky tannins and lifted aromatics lend notable finesse right out of the gate. Sweet red cherry fruit, cedar, pipe tobacco and mocha open first. There's terrific freshness and vibrancy here. More than anything else, I am struck by the wine's total finesse and harmony. This is what 2023 is all about. -Antonio Gallon