My Article: 1997 Gaja Sori San Lorenzo, 1999 La Turque, and…

I had just finished saying to my girlfriend that I knew very few people who drank Gaja’s high-end wines, even though they are forever excellent. “They appear to be like a number of cult wines in the world that are traded but seldom consumed,” I said to her, thinking of a number of other expensive collectors’ wines from California and Italy.

Yet, a few minutes later, I had my nose in a glass of 1997 Gaja Langhe Sori San Lorenzo, and it was amazing quality.

A friend and big time Hong Kong-based wine collector had poured the Gaja blind against a bottle of 1999 Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque, which was drinking beautifully. He brought them to lunch at the Summer Palace Chinese restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel.

We brought a bottle of 2007 Domaine de Chevalier white that was amazing too (95 points). It was like drinking a young Montrachet. Why drink Haut-Brion blanc for eight or nine times the price?

The Northern Rhone red had loads of black pepper, meat and dark fruits on the nose and palate with a full yet refined palate. And it remained subtle and fresh. I scored it 95 points. I wonder if the other La Las are so drinkable now?

The Gaja was layered and rich with loads of licorice, blackberries and mushrooms on the nose and palate. Full and velvety, it showed so much balance yet excitement on the palate. It was very drinkable – my friend had double decanted it an hour before the lunch – but showed such great potential for a long and beautiful life.

The food at Summer Palace was superb. I am still thinking about the Cantonese chicken, and how it’s crispy texture and decadent flavor went so well with the reds. It might be one of the best Chinese restaurants in town. Check out www.asiatatlerdining.com  for more recommendations for top restaurants in Hong Kong. I work for it as well as Hong Kong Tatler magazine.

My friend served a 1978 Gaja Barbaresco as well, as a late addition, but it was drying out with funky wood flavors. Old Gajas are often disappointing – most likely from bad storage. They are minefields.

The lunch finished with a 1959 Deinhard Auslese from the Pfalz that was still fresh with lots of dried pineapple and apricot character. The sweetness was almost gone.

It was a great lunch by all accounts and reminded me that 1997 Barolos and Barbarescos are gorgeous wines that offer fabulous drinking pleasure, as well as 1999 Northern Rhones. Start drinking them. DC blanc is a wine to think about as well.

And, of course, it all disproved my idea that nobody drinks Gaja anymore.