With the Barolo Conteisa Cerequio 1989, Gaja crafted one of the landmark early Barolos marking the house’s return to the wider Langhe. The grapes originate from the historic Cerequio cru in La Morra—a south-facing site at around 380 metres of elevation characterised by calcareous clay-marl soils with sandy veins. Produced prior to Gaja’s outright acquisition of the Gromis estate in 1995, this bottling was sourced from selected parcels of that historic holding and released under the name Conteisa Cerequio.   

Today, the 1989 vintage has entered a particularly captivating stage of maturity. On the nose, ripe red cherries, plums, and dried berries intertwine with rose petals, liquorice, tar, and a delicate balsamic savouriness. With aeration, notes of tobacco, leather, forest floor, cedarwood, and dried herbs emerge while the fruit retains its remarkable precision.

On the palate, the Barolo Conteisa Cerequio 1989 displays Cerequio’s signature marriage of power and aromatic finesse. Dense and concentrated, the mature fruit is carried by still-vibrant acidity. After more than three decades, the tannins have largely resolved into a fine, velvety texture, while mineral and savoury spice notes impart length and tension. Less monolithic than the great Barolos of Serralunga, the wine feels more perfumed, supple, and exceptionally multi-layered.

The Barolo Conteisa Cerequio 1989 counts among the most notable historic bottlings from the Gaja stable, prized today above all for its pedigree and age. Resting on a superb plateau of maturity, its once-formidable structure is increasingly complemented by tertiary aromas and an extraordinarily complex texture. In bottles with impeccable provenance and cellaring, further evolution remains possible, though the peak of its mature elegance has now arrived.