Tasting Notes
Robert Parker 95
Poured first among the three single-vineyard Barbarescos, the Gaja 2023 Barbaresco Costa Russi immediately establishes itself as the most delicate and finessed of the trio. It presents a more classical, old-school expression of Barbaresco with beautifully lifted aromatics. The palate mirrors that elegance with silky, exquisitely polished tannins that carry the wine effortlessly across a long, graceful finish.
James Suckling 97
Elegant and fresh, showing refined violet candies, wild strawberries, red currants and licorice alongside subtle, smoky wood and citrus leaves on the nose. Full-bodied, firm and velvety on the palate with graphite flavors. Juicy and crisp, savory and long. Drink or hold.
Jeb Dunnuck 97
The 2023 Barbaresco Costa Russi was bottled only three weeks prior to my tasting in December 2025, after extended time in barrel. It pours a jeweled ruby color and offers notes of framboise, cherries, and polished stone. The tannins remind me somewhat of the 2020 in their silkiness and definition, showing harmony without feeling overdeveloped. There is a beautiful refinement to the structure, with fresh acidity and a long, balanced finish.
