Alberto di Grèsy was not content with selling the grapes that he and his family cultivated to other well-known wineries, as was the tradition in the Langhe around the 1960s and ‘70s. Instead, in 1973 he chose to vinify his own wine, incorporating the best technology available while maintaining a respect for the traditions that his family had held for so very long. His wines gained recognition quickly, as he was able to create products that were truly representative of the land from which they came, displaying authentic Piemonte character. The Barbaresco Gaiun Martinenga is Marchesi di Grèsy’s most momentous wine, radiating elegance and remnants of its refined vineyard.

Current holdings comprise three estates—Martinenga, Monte Aribaldo, and La Serra. In the present context, we are concerned with the first of these, which is dedicated almost exclusively to the production of Nebbiolo grapes (with smaller plantings of Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon) used for the crafting of Barbaresco. The estate’s eponymous vineyard weds unobstructed southern exposure with a soil of blue marl, elements that support the development of high-quality grapes and realize the Grésy portfolio’s most significant bottling, the Martinenga Barbaresco. The site is also conveyed through bottlings representing special selections vinified exclusively in vintages of high quality—Camp Gros and Gaiun, the latter of which incorporates a modern accent through barrique aging.

The Gaiun Martinenga is aged for six months in French barrique followed by fourteen months in Slavonian oak casks and at least nine months maturing in the bottles. Of note is the historic 1990 vintage which offers a bouquet that seduces you with a broad spectrum of flavors that hover over rich, herbal notes.