Gaja: Sorì
San Lorenzo 1971-2011

Since its debut in 1967,&nbsp;Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic&nbsp;wines in Piedmont and Italy. This recent vertical tasting provided a
great opportunity to check in on a number of vintages, including most of the
reference points.

Sorì San Lorenzo is the most powerful, structured and masculine of Gaja’s three single vineyard wines from Barbaresco. <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/multimedia/the-vineyards-of-barolo-costa-russi-oct-2014">Costa Russi</a> is always about suppleness, while&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/multimedia/the-vineyards-of-barbaresco-sori-tildin-oct-2014">Sorì Tildìn</a>&nbsp;speaks to finesse above all else. Sorì San Lorenzo is a totally different animal. Here the wines are intense, brooding and exceptionally long-lived, with a level of intensity that could easily be mistaken for Barolo.Multimedia: <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/multimedia/the-vineyards-of-barbaresco-sori-san-lorenzo-oct-2014">Gaia Gaja on Sorì San Lorenzo</a> 

Angelo Gaja’s father, Giovanni, bought the vineyard in 1964
from the Alba church and christened it Sorì San Lorenzo, after city’s patron
saint. Even then, Sorì San Lorenzo was known as source of top-quality grapes. As
was the custom at the time, the vineyard was planted to both grapes and other
crops, including fruit trees. Gino Cavallo,&nbsp;Gaja’s vineyard foreman, refused to
cut down two old cypresses and plant the other half of the vineyard. The tree
was known as a favorite spot of a local truffle hunter who was famous for the
attention he lavished on his loyal dog. A few years later a rival
truffle hunter who had a reputation for abusing his animals poisoned the dog.
That was the last straw for Cavallo. In an act of retribution, down went the
cypresses, and the rest of the vineyard was developed. In 1982 Gaja planted&nbsp;Barbera, which was later&nbsp;blended with Nebbiolo to create the modern-day Sorì San
Lorenzo.

&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1415911537122-Vineyard1.jpg">

The first vintages of Sorì San Lorenzo were aged entirely in
cask. Gaja introduced French oak barriques in 1968, but used those barrels
mostly on Barbera and other experimental wines until 1978, when all the
Barbarescos were partially aged in French oak. At the time, Gaja purchased used
barrels from wineries in Bordeaux, but a visit by André Noblet, Domaine de la
Romanée-Conti’s cellar master, in 1979 convinced Gaja to make serious upgrades
to the quality of his barriques. Between 1978 and 1988, Gaja gradually
increased the percentage of French oak in his Barbarescos from around 20% to
50%, where it remains today. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1415911547065-Vineyard2.jpg">&nbsp;

Angelo and Lucia Gaja’s children, Gaia, Rossana and
Giovanni, are now increasingly involved in the family business. The most recent
Gaja wines clearly show a move towards a more refined, finessed style that stands
in stark contrast to the wines the young Angelo Gaja made in the 1970s and
1980s. Generational succession is the single greatest challenge facing
Piedmont’s wineries today. If Angelo and Lucia Gaja can hand off their estate
to their children and give them the freedom to make decisions, they will
succeed where so many others before them have failed.

The 1971 Sorì San
Lorenzo is now fully mature, although it has enough depth to drink well for
another 5-10 years, perhaps longer. Sweet tobacco, mint, pine, licorice and
dried cherries meld together in a pretty, perfumed Barbaresco that has reached
its peak. The 1971 is one of the greatest of all Sorì San Lorenzos, but judging
from this bottle, there is no further upside to be gained through further
cellaring. Interestingly, the 1971, like the 1967, is labeled&nbsp;only Sorì San Lorenzo, there is no mention of the Barbaresco appellation. 94/Drinking window: 2014. One
of the stars in this tasting, the 1974
Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is quite a bit fresher and also more powerful
than the 1971. A huge core of fruit hits the palate, followed by savory herbs,
leather, tobacco and smoke. The 1974 remains powerful and virile, with fabulous
intensity for a wine of its age and a compelling interplay of tertiary nuance,
dense fruit and plenty of structure to back it all up. Readers lucky enough to
still own the 1974 can look forward to another 5-10 years of very fine
drinking. 95/Drinking window: 2014-2020.

&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1415911590087-Labels.jpg">

These early labels
were designed by one of Angelo Gaja’s classmates

Gaja's 1978 Barbaresco
Sorì San Lorenzo is another epic wine. Veins of underlying structure and
acidity give the 1978 much of its power, shape and pure volume. A huge,
structured Barbaresco, the 1978 has a similar feel to the 1974, but with more
energy and power. With time in the glass, the 1978 continues to open up and
gain freshness. Even today, at 36 years of age, it is in great shape. 96/Drinking window: 2014-2024. The 1982 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is
laced with sweet red cherries, freshly cut flowers, mint, spices and pine. This
is an especially polished, refined San Lorenzo that emphasizes finesse over the
power that is more typical of this site, although there is no shortage of
tannin. With air, the 1982 keeps getting better and better. The long, bright
finish is particularly of note. 97/Drinking
window: 2014-2024.

A wine of pure joy, the 1985
Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo wraps around the palate with gorgeous
fleshiness. Racy, ripe and textured, the Sorì San Lorenzo is a classic wine
from this warm, precocious vintage. The 1985 won't last forever, but it is
absolutely gorgeous and peaking today. This is a fabulous showing from Gaja.&nbsp;96/Drinking
window: 2014-2020. The 1988 Barbaresco
Sorì San Lorenzo is in great shape. Black cherries, plums, smoke, tar and
menthol burst from the glass in an explosive, structured Barbaresco built on
depth, power and firm, insistent tannins. A dark, brooding wine, 1988 Sorì San
Lorenzo is the first in a trio of epic Barbarescos from Angelo Gaja that round
out the decade in style. 97/Drinking
window: 2014-2024. Sweet dark cherries, plums, spices, mint and tobacco all
lift from the glass in the 1989
Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo. Incredibly perfumed and layered in the glass,
the 1989 captures the essence of this great Piedmont vintage in its soaring
aromatics, inner sweetness and extraordinary balance. Tasting the 1989 today
brings back memories of an unforgettable night a few years ago when I tasted
all of the 1989s and 1990s together here. Simply put, the 1989 Sorì San Lorenzo
is a total stunner. 97/Drinking
window: 2014-2029.

&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1415911604770-Glasses.jpg">

The 1990 Barbaresco
Sorì San Lorenzo is a fabulous wine to drink now and over the next 10-15
years. The tannins remain a bit firm, but the aromas are already starting to show
the first signs of maturity. Today, the 1990 comes across as a slightly younger
version of the 1985. With time in the glass the 1990 freshens up a bit, but
the tannins remain intense.&nbsp;96/Drinking window: 2014-2024. The 1993 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is one
of the surprises of this uneven vintage. Freshly cut flowers, mint, red berries
and mint are all laced together in a striking, perfumed Barbaresco built on
aromatic lift and finesse. This is one of the more mid-weight, feminine Sorì
San Lorenzos that Gaja has made, yet the wine's balance is magnificent. The
1993 will drink well for at least another decade. 94/Drinking window: 2014-2024.

Gaja's 1995
Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is potent and virile to the core. A modern-day
version of the 1974, the 1995 hits the palate a rush of fruit enveloped by
firm, powerful tannins. The style is frank, direct and intense, with fabulous
richness but also some elements of rusticity. The 1995 will drink well for
another 10-15 years. 95/Drinking window:&nbsp;2014-2024.
Sweet tobacco, mocha, plums, smoke and licorice are some of the many notes that
meld together in the 1997 Sorì San
Lorenzo. The 1997 retains gorgeous radiance, sweetness and volume, even if
the aromatics are now beginning to show slightly more forward notes. The 1997
is a gorgeous wine to drink now and over the next decade, but, quite uncharacteristically,
it looks to be a relatively early maturing wine for this site. 96/Drinking window: 2014-2024.

The 1998 Sorì San
Lorenzo is one of the most pleasant surprises in this tasting. Fresher than
the 1997 - even if not as voluptuous - the 1998 captures the best qualities of
the year. Smoke, tobacco, menthol, plums and black cherries are all laced
together in a silky, perfumed wine that is stunning today. This is a terrific
showing from the 1998. 96/Drinking
window: 2018-2028. The 1999 Sorì San
Lorenzo is a modern-day classic. Freshly cut flowers, mint, chalk, bright
red cherries and anise jump from the glass in a pure, crystalline wine endowed
with magnificent tension and precision. Pulsating in the glass, the 1999 is all
about energy and weightless precision. In that sense, the 1999 is a younger
version of the 1982. 98/Drinking
window: 2014-2029.

&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1415911639961-Bottlesand+Cover.jpg">

The 2001 Sorì San
Lorenzo is all about finesse and texture. Ripe, silky tannins provide the
backdrop as the 2001 opens up in the glass. The 2001 is still fresh, primary
and very young. Ideally, it needs another 5 years or so in the cellar. There is
little doubt the 2001 is shaping up to be one of the most elegant Sorì San
Lorenzos ever made. Today, it is dazzling. 97/Drinking
window: 2016-2031. In 2004, Gaja's Sorì San Lorenzo is unusually
polished and feminine, with fewer of the dark, brooding overtones that are so
typical of this site. Super-expressive aromatics meld seamlessly into silky,
beautifully layered fruit. Hints of exotic spice, hard candy, smoke and French
oak add nuance on the striking finish. At the early part of its drinking
window, the 2004 will have no trouble aging gracefully for another decade or
two. There is little doubt the 2004&nbsp;is one of the truly great&nbsp;Sorì San Lorenzos.&nbsp;98/Drinking window: 2014-2029.

&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1415911651836-Vineyard3.jpg">

A wine of total finesse, the 2005 Sorì San Lorenzo impresses for its nuance and balance. Freshly
cut flowers, mint, cinnamon and crushed rocks are all laced together in a wine
of exquisite harmony. The 2005 is one of the more restrained, elegant vintages
in this vertical tasting. The perfumed finish speaks above all else to a sense
of delicacy that is impossible to miss. 96/Drinking window: 2015-2030. The 2008
Sorì San Lorenzo is an especially dark, imposing wine. Here the flavors are
inward and brooding, with massive intensity and a sense of structure
that was not apparent the last time I tasted it. Today, the oak is a bit obvious, but that may be attributable to the context of this tasting in which
so many of the wines are quite a bit older. 96/Drinking window: 2018-2033.

Silky and gracious on the palate, the 2009 Sorì San Lorenzo looks to be a wine that will drink well with
just a few years of cellaring. This is a decidedly floral, lifted yet radiant
wine with terrific balance and plenty of the sexiness that defines the very
best wines of the year. 95/Drinking window: 2019-2039. The 2010 Sorì San Lorenzo jumps from the glass with lavender, violets,
plums, smoke and licorice, all in a lifted, precise style built on finesse. The
tannins are remarkably sweet and polished for such a young wine.&nbsp; The pulsating fruit and sense of structure
are reminiscent of the 1999, but here, there is perhaps a little more finesse
and slightly more compelling balance. 97/Drinking
window: 2018-2040.

The 2011 Sorì San
Lorenzo boasts massive depth, intensity and power. Black fruit, smoke, tar,
licorice, savory herbs and leather are some of the many notes that emerge from
the glass. Regardless of the year, the personality of Sorì San Lorenzo always
comes through, which is why this is one of the great sites in Barbaresco,
Piedmont and Italy. In 2011 the contours are a bit softer, which gives the wine
a level of accessibility that is quite rare in Sorì San Lorenzos when the wines
are young. Why is Sorì San Lorenzo one of the world's most profound vineyards?
Because its personality simply can't be denied. 97+/Drinking window: 2021-2041.

&nbsp;--Antonio Galloni

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