Conteisa
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 8 to 25 years from the vintage release, as its structured tannins soften and yield to complex tertiary aromas.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Slow-cooked beef braised in red wine, hand-cut egg pasta with fresh white truffles, and mature, savory cheeses such as Castelmagno.
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Gaja's 'Conteisa' is a liquid chronicle of Piedmontese history, taking its name from the historic 'quarrel' (conteisa in local dialect) between the communes of La Morra and Barolo over the ownership of the prized Cerequio vineyard in the 12th century. Sourced from this legendary site, the wine showcases the softer, highly aromatic side of Nebbiolo, nurtured by the clay-and-silt-rich Tortonian soils of La Morra. For years, Angelo Gaja famously declassified this wine to Langhe DOC to allow the addition of a small percentage of Barbera for freshness, but it has since returned to its 100% Nebbiolo roots as a premier Barolo DOCG. The wine undergoes meticulous fermentation followed by aging in both barriques and traditional large oak casks, resulting in a masterpiece of refined tannins, bright red fruit, and complex notes of rose petals, licorice, and tar.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja in the village of Barbaresco, Piedmont, Gaja is one of the world's most legendary wine estates, celebrated for revolutionizing Italian viticulture. Under the visionary leadership of Angelo Gaja, who joined the family business in 1961, the winery pioneered modern techniques in the Langhe, including green harvesting, temperature-controlled fermentations, and aging in French barriques. Gaja is globally renowned for its iconic single-vineyard Nebbiolo bottlings, such as Sor'i San Lorenzo, Costa Russi, and Sperss, alongside pioneering white wines like Gaia & Rey. The family has since expanded its uncompromising pursuit of quality to Tuscany, producing acclaimed Brunello di Montalcino at Pieve Santa Restituta and Bolgheri blends at Ca' Marcanda.