First Cabernet Sauvignon post-phylloxera planted in Piedmont, Darmagi is a single vineyard situated in the municipality of Barbaresco. It was Giovanni Gaja, Angelo’s father, who involuntarily named this wine, because when Cabernet Sauvignon was planted instead of Nebbiolo, his first comment in Piedmontese dialect was Darmagi! (What a pity!).

Planted in 1978, it was chosen by Angelo Gaja both as a tribute to this prestigious grape and to demonstrate the vocation of the Langa land to produce great wines also from non-traditional varieties. The vineyard, facing south, covers a surface of 2.8 hectares (6 acres avg.) and has average altitude of 280 M above the sea level.

The 2020 vintage was characterized by frequent rainfalls that can be defined as atypical for various reasons. Instead of the distribution coming in winter and spring, it was concentrated in the summer months. Despite the frequent summer thunderstorms, none of our vineyards were damaged by hail. During winter, the temperatures were mild. Particularly, January 2020 will be remembered for being the warmest in the last 50 years. The actual cold, with temperatures below freezing, arrived in mid-March and lasted a month. However, no frost damage occurred. With the sole exceptions of a heat spike in late May, one in August, and one in mid-September, the period from May to early October was characterized by alternating warm days and thunderstorms followed by cooler days. Significant temperature variations during the rest of September and October helped the color, aromas, and overall health of the grapes.

Fermentated and aged in stainless steel tanks and barrels.

Despite its well-defined varietal character, Darmagi has a precise personality due to the Barbaresco soil which emphasizes its early austerity, resulting in a refined and complex wine. It has a dark colour, with spicy aromas of paprika, liquorice, cassis fruit and flowers, especially violet. This wine has a remarkable structure, with refined tannins. Suitable for long ageing.