2000 Costa Russi
By Gaja
2000 Costa Russi from Gaja, Langhe, Italy
The 2000 vintage of Costa Russi from Gaja stands as a testament to the exceptional quality that can be expected when meticulous viniculture processes meet an exceptional growing season. In the realm of Piedmont's prestigious vineyards, Gaja is a pillar of excellence, with Costa Russi being one of their most celebrated accomplishments.
A Vintage Testament to Nebbiolo's Prowess
The millennial vintage of Italy was an intriguing year in Piedmont- greater than average sunshine had dappled the vineyards which provided ideal conditions for optimum ripeness, resulting in notable elegance and approachability in the produced wines. Famed for their laudable nebbiolo, the year 2000 was noticeably kind on Gaja's Costa Russi vineyard, enhancing its typical floral nuances with ripe fruit accents and an anchored structure.
Not only does the 2000 Costa Russi burst with layered complexity, but this engaging melody is choreographed masterfully: juicy cherries engaged in delicate dance with truffle-infused underbrush nuances all pirouetting on soft tannic shoes.
The Golden Gloss of a Great Vintage Year
The glowing conditions of the year 2000 cemented Costa Russi from Gaja's place in prime wine investment circles. Its beautifully nuanced balance between accessibility and ageing potential etches this vintage as one worthy of a place within curated wine portfolios.
With its grace and harmony amplified by the superb millennial growing conditions, the 2000 Costa Russi emerges as a fine example of Piedmont's viticulture prowess. The stature of such vintages not only enhances wine cognoscenti's appreciation of Langhe's capacity for great wines but also underlines the investment potential of Italy's prestigious fine wines
This vintage, with its symphony of vibrant fruit flavours, complex structure and inviting accessibility, is a wine that exemplifies Gaja’s magisterial approach to viniculture, the heart and soul of their home region in every glass. Poised to age exquisitely over the coming decade, the 2000 Costa Russi exhibits why fine Italian wines make for iconic additions to any savvy wine investor's collection.
Market price (GBP)
£3,560.00
12x75cl
Highest score
94
POP score
254.29
Scores and tasting notes
The 2000 Costa Russi comes across as rich, dense and powerful, with impressive depth in its dark fruit. As always, Costa Russi is the most forward of Gaja’s single-vineyard wines from Barbaresco. The intensity of the fruit carries through nicely to the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020. Angelo Gaja’s 2000s are a bit of a mystery. The wines were absolutely beautiful upon release and equally impressive when I tasted them a few years later for the 7th edition of Parker’s Wine Buyers Guide. The 2000s were far less convincing when I tasted them in November 2010. All of the wines were initially very reticent and closed. After an hour or two in the glass they opened for about 30 minutes before closing back down again. Gaja thinks the wines are passing through a stage of inaccessibility. If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt it is Gaja. I can’t remember the last older wine from this cellar that was a disappointment or that hadn’t aged well, and I have been privileged to taste the vast majority of wines that have been made here under Angelo Gaja’s tenure. Time will ultimately tell where these wines are headed, but this was not an especially flattering showing for Gaja’s 2000s. That said, most producers would be thrilled to have wines like these in their cellars. In some ways, Gaja is a victim of his own success. He sets such a high bar with his finest vintages; it is only natural to expect greatness all the time. The 2000s fall a bit short of that mark but are quite strong in the context of the year.
Antonio Galloni - The Wine Advocate, 1 May 2011