Alteni di Brassica
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3 to 10 years from the vintage release, as it gains complexity, honeyed depth, and integration with age.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Herb-roasted poultry, grilled white fish such as sea bass, and fresh goat cheese or vegetable risottos.
✨ Technical Specifications
Gaja's Alteni di Brassica is a landmark white wine from Piedmont, first released in 1986 under the visionary guidance of Angelo Gaja. Crafted from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grown in the premium clay-limestone soils of Barbaresco and Serralunga d'Alba, this wine represents a daring departure from regional tradition. The name pays homage to the local heritage: 'Alteni' refers to the historic dry stone walls that once bordered the local orchards, while 'Brassica' is the yellow wildflower of the mustard family that blankets the vineyards in spring. Unlike many crisp, stainless-steel Sauvignon Blancs, Alteni di Brassica undergoes fermentation and aging in oak barriques for six to eight months. This meticulous process imparts a rich, textured complexity, balancing vibrant citrus and tropical fruit notes with elegant herbal undertones, structured minerality, and a subtle, creamy finish.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja in Barbaresco, Gaja is among the most influential dynasties in modern Italian viticulture. The estate's global stature was fundamentally transformed by fourth-generation icon Angelo Gaja, who introduced temperature-controlled fermentation, French barrique aging, green harvesting, and single-vineyard bottlings to Piedmont. Viticulture across the Langhe's classic calcareous marls focuses on biodiversity, soil vitality, and organic tenets tailored to climate adaptation, eschewing rigid certification schemes. Gaja is celebrated worldwide for its benchmark Nebbiolos—notably the flagship Barbaresco DOCG alongside historic single-vineyard crus Sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì Tildìn, and Costa Russi—and its Barolo cru Sperss. In addition to peerless expressions of Nebbiolo, the family revolutionized Piedmontese whites and Bordeaux blends through benchmark bottlings like Gaia & Rey Chardonnay, Rossj-Bass, and Darmagi. Today, the estate is led jointly by Angelo and his children Gaia, Rossana, and Giovanni.