2015 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo

These new releases from the Gaja family are impressive. Generational succession is the single greatest threat to the long-term survival of family-owned wineries in Italy. Although there have naturally been some bumps in the road, the Gajas have navigated this tricky phase exceptionally well. That takes an older generation that can let go and a younger generation that is capable of taking over, neither of which is by any means a foregone conclusion. Today’s wines are increasingly marked by grace and understatement, along with the strong expression of site that has always been a calling card for the vineyard designate Barbarescos and Barolos.

The 2021 Barbarescos lead the way this year. Sorì Tildin and Sorì San Lorenzo are especially fine. It was not an easy vintage. Frost and cold weather during flowering lowered yields in some spots. Even so, the wines are pretty special. These days, the Barbarescos and Barolos see 45-60 days on the skins. Aging takes place first in French oak barrels and then cask. There’s a bit more French oak influence in Sperrs, much less so in the other wines.

This is a superb set of wines from the Gaja family. The 2021 whites are notable for their vibrancy. Moving further into the tasting, the 2020 Barbarescos are gorgeous, vibrant wines that impress with their delineation. The 2020s need time in the glass to emerge, but the signatures of each wine are very much present. The same is true for the 2019 Barolos. These days, the Gaja wines are defined by greater energy than in the past, but they remain quintessentially Gaia in breeding.

Gaja’s 2017s reflect the significant challenges of a turbulent and very challenging growing season. The Barbarescos had a bit more flesh when I tasted them from barrel last year. From bottle, the wines appear a touch lighter, which means they have lost some depth or are perhaps closed at this stage. Time will tell. What seems more certain is that site signatures, which is what I look for most in these wines, are blurred and not as well articulated as they are in more favorable years.

I tasted a wide range of wines during my last visit to Gaja, including a number of wines just prior to bottling. The 2017 Barbarescos are shaping up nicely. Yields are down around 30% because of dehydration and thick skins, typical of the year. I don't see quite the pedigree of 2016, but that is the beauty of vintages. In 2016, Gaja will only bottle one Barolo, Sperss, as Conteisa was affected by hail. The move toward a more refined approach continues to be evident as the younger generation increasingly takes the helm. I have to say, the direction at Gaja of late has been really impressive.

I have had many remarkable tastings at Gaja over the years. I remember revisiting all the 1989s and 1990s for a retrospective some years ago. When I entered the tasting room I was completely overwhelmed by a whole range of exotic, almost intoxicating, Nebbiolo aromas that completely filled the room. My most recent visit didn't quite equal that high, but it came very close. The Gaja family's 2016 Barbarescos are simply extraordinary. Sorì Tildìn is, arguably, the most profound of the wines, but all four 2016s are mind blowingly beautiful, vivid wines that will leave readers weak at the knees. The 2015 Barolos and 2013 Darmagi round out this stunning set of new releases.

The Gaja family's 2014 Barbarescos are more than worthy follow ups to the stellar 2013s. The 2014s also show a bit more stylistic cohesion throughout the range than was the case with the 2013s. Overall, the 2014s are defined by their energy, tension and brilliant personalities. As good as Gaja's cru wines are, the straight Barbaresco - which is a blend of many top sites - is as good or nearly as good as those wines. It is also much more accessibly priced, even if none of these wines can be defined as inexpensive. Sadly, yields are down 35% across the board for the 2014s.

This is a compelling set of new releases from Gaja. Over the last few years, the winery has been in a state of transition as Angelo and Lucia Gaja have gradually handed over control to their children Gaia, Rossana and, more recently, Giovanni. One of the first and most significant developments has been a move towards more sustainable farming, a shift that has been under way for a number of years, partly in response to climate change. But there is more to what is happening at Gaja than just farming. The style of the wines has also changed, in some ways subtly and some ways much more dramatically. Readers will see that in these new releases. The triple flagships Costa Russi, Sorì Tildìn and Sorì San Lorenzo are once again being bottled as Barbarescos, a move that will be continued when Conteisa and Sperss are released as Barolos next year. More importantly than what is on the label, though, the wines are quite different in style. Gaja skipped the 2012 vintage entirely for single-vineyard wines in both Barbaresco and Barolo, so the 2013s represent a sort of re-boot. The Barbaresco and Costa Russi are super-classic, with bright Nebbiolo color and very little, if any, French oak influence. The Sorì Tildìn and Sorì San Lorenzo, while more restrained than in the past, are a bit darker and show subtle but noticeable French oak inflections. Either way, the 2013 Barbarescos are fabulous. I found the whites less convincing this year. Those wines appear to be works in progress as the younger generation takes over. These are exciting times at Gaja, that much is obvious. Also tasted: 2015 Rossj-Bass, 2015 Alteni di Brassica, 2014 Chardonnay Gaia & Rey.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Gaja's 2011s are great lessons in terroir. The Barbaresco shows the wisdom of being able to blend fruit across multiple sites, the Costa Russi is pliant but not quite profound, while the Sorì Tildìn and Sorì San Lorenzo ooze with the personality that only the world's greatest sites possess.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Angelo Gaja continues to fine-tune his viticulture and vinification with his two daughters and son.He actually mentioned the word "retirement" during my visit but it's hard to imagine this dynamo slowing down, much less standing aside for the next generation.Indeed, on my recent tour of the Langhe, two much younger winemakers at other estates mentioned not being able to keep up with Gaja on one of his vineyard walks.In 2008 Gaja got rid of his huge old casks and replaced them with big new casks, although he made it clear that he broke in the new barrels in '08 and '09 by using them "for the bad part of the wines."But with vintage 2010, he began using these barrels for his best wines and also introduced some tonneaux.With the 2011 vintage and especially 2012 Gaja is working more reductively and has cut the number of rackings for his big nebbiolo wines from four to two.He also plans to work entirely by gravity in 2013.Gaja is also moving steadily in the direction of biodynamic farming, although he does not believe that these techniques are a magic bullet."Bio is like a good windshield wiper," he told me."It can't keep the rain from falling but it helps you make your way."He describes 2011 and 2010 as having similar acidity (acid levels were higher here in years like 2006 ad 2001).Both years, he went on, produced wines with more acidity than tannins, while in 2009 it was the other way around.In fact, some 2009s can have underripe tannins, he noted.Gaja describes his big 2010 nebbiolo wines as "precise, but not opulent or austere," a description that could equally well apply to red Burgundies from the same growing season.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Angelo Gaja continues to fine-tune his viticulture and vinification with his two daughters and son.He actually mentioned the word "retirement" during my visit but it's hard to imagine this dynamo slowing down, much less standing aside for the next generation.Indeed, on my recent tour of the Langhe, two much younger winemakers at other estates mentioned not being able to keep up with Gaja on one of his vineyard walks.In 2008 Gaja got rid of his huge old casks and replaced them with big new casks, although he made it clear that he broke in the new barrels in '08 and '09 by using them "for the bad part of the wines."But with vintage 2010, he began using these barrels for his best wines and also introduced some tonneaux.With the 2011 vintage and especially 2012 Gaja is working more reductively and has cut the number of rackings for his big nebbiolo wines from four to two.He also plans to work entirely by gravity in 2013.Gaja is also moving steadily in the direction of biodynamic farming, although he does not believe that these techniques are a magic bullet."Bio is like a good windshield wiper," he told me."It can't keep the rain from falling but it helps you make your way."He describes 2011 and 2010 as having similar acidity (acid levels were higher here in years like 2006 ad 2001).Both years, he went on, produced wines with more acidity than tannins, while in 2009 it was the other way around.In fact, some 2009s can have underripe tannins, he noted.Gaja describes his big 2010 nebbiolo wines as "precise, but not opulent or austere," a description that could equally well apply to red Burgundies from the same growing season.

Gaja's 2010s mostly reflect the qualities of the long, cold growing season in their steely, reticent personalities. This is especially true in the Costa Russi, which is typically much more open and expressive young than it is today. In Sorì Tildìn power dominates over finesse, at least today. As is often the case, the Sorì San Lorenzo is the most important of the three-single vineyard wines from Barbaresco. Its personality seems to come through loud and clear regardless of the vintage. I expect the flagship wines will require at least a few years in bottle before they start to blossom.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Angelo Gaja doesn't say too much about his wines these days. He doesn't need to. The wines more than speak for themselves. What impresses me most about the 2009s is the elegance of their tannin. This is a vintage where managing the crop load was critical in achieving balance. Gaja is one of the very few growers who got it right. His wines stand out for their textural finesse and sense of harmony. Although Gaja is easily the most glamorous winery in Piedmont, it remains a family affair, with Angelo Gaja's wife Lucia, and their daughters Gaia and Rossana increasingly involved, and their younger brother Giovanni set to follow in their footsteps. Long-time winemaker Guido Rivella keeps a much lower profile, but he is the man who has produced all of Gaja's most legendary wines going back to 1970. Angelo Gaja describes 2009 as a year with a lot of rain until June. The bunches on average were loose and the berries small, which resulted in high skin-to-juice ratios, which is quite favorable for ageworthy wines.

Angelo Gaja is well aware of the conflicting currents that are making production of rich, high-alcohol wines increasingly tricky. "Global warming started to show its effect in 1996," he told me. "We had very big wines in earlier vintages like 1971, 1961 and 1947, but now those kinds of vintages are much more common. The question we haven't been able to answer yet is: will more intensity of heat and light have an influence on the longevity of our wines? And of course, the more consumers insist on lower alcohol levels in their wines, the more the wines will have to be manipulated. Let us do our jobs as growers and winemakers." In recent years, like a number of his colleagues in the Langhe hills, Gaja has been green harvesting in a series of passes through the vines so as not to overdo this step in warm years when the fruit would be very likely to reach sufficient ripeness without cutting crop levels in mid-summer. Gaja is slow to pass judgment on new vintages and he's still assessing 2009, which he describes as "not a big vintage like 2007. Maybe it's more like 2008, which is a very interesting year, elegant and balanced but with less body than 2007." Two thousand eleven, he added, has been difficult for the dolcetto and barbera as there was a lot of drying of the grapes in the late-summer heat.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Angelo Gaja is well aware of the conflicting currents that are making production of rich, high-alcohol wines increasingly tricky. "Global warming started to show its effect in 1996," he told me. "We had very big wines in earlier vintages like 1971, 1961 and 1947, but now those kinds of vintages are much more common. The question we haven't been able to answer yet is: will more intensity of heat and light have an influence on the longevity of our wines? And of course, the more consumers insist on lower alcohol levels in their wines, the more the wines will have to be manipulated. Let us do our jobs as growers and winemakers." In recent years, like a number of his colleagues in the Langhe hills, Gaja has been green harvesting in a series of passes through the vines so as not to overdo this step in warm years when the fruit would be very likely to reach sufficient ripeness without cutting crop levels in mid-summer. Gaja is slow to pass judgment on new vintages and he's still assessing 2009, which he describes as "not a big vintage like 2007. Maybe it's more like 2008, which is a very interesting year, elegant and balanced but with less body than 2007." Two thousand eleven, he added, has been difficult for the dolcetto and barbera as there was a lot of drying of the grapes in the late-summer heat.

This is a stunning set of wines from Angelo Gaja and his team in Barbaresco. Those who think 2008 is a truly great year for Nebbiolo must have tasted these wines. In a vintage that is inconsistent across the villages of Barbaresco, Gaja has produced not one but four stellar wines. As fabulous as these wines are, they aren't especially true to type, as I explain in these notes. The 2008s I tasted in the US showed far better than the bottles I tasted in Barbaresco during the summer. Perhaps the onset of the cool fall weather gave these wines a little more spine than they had during the sweltering heat of August.

My most recent visit to Gaja was quite an experience, as I tasted all of the estate's 1989s, 1990s and 2007s. The 1989s and 1990s are reviewed on this site's What About Now article. Angelo Gaja, always loquacious on a wide range of subjects, says virtually nothing about his wines, an approach I have increasingly come to appreciate in an era where so many producers are constantly in pitch mode. Then again, Gaja doesn't really need to say anything, the wines speak for themselves. I tasted the 2007s at the winery in November 2009 and then again in New York in January 2010. Both times they were spectacular. Stylistically the 2007s remind me of the 1997s in terms of their opulence. Gaja's wines are often showy when young – which is certainly the case with the 2007s – but then close down in bottle for a number of years, sometimes many years. My impression is that the Costa Russi and Conteisa are the most likely of these 2007s to offer the widest drinking windows throughout their lives with a minimum of cellaring. Fermentation and malolactic fermentation take place in steel. The wines then spent approximately one year in French oak and a second year in cask prior to being bottled. As has been the case for a number of years now, Gaja's Langhe wines incorporate a small percentage of Barbera. On a final note, it's great to see Gaja's daughters Gaia and Rossana increasingly involved in the winery. They, and their younger brother Giovanni, have big shoes to fill, but couldn't have asked for better teachers than Angelo and Lucia Gaja.

x000D According to Gaja, global warming has been beneficial for the wines of Barbaresco. "Before 1996 there was a big gap in quality between Barolo and Barbaresco," he told me. "Barolo was routinely a degree higher in alcohol-say 12.5% vs. 11.5%, or 13% vs. 12%. But today Barbaresco is commonly 13.5%, or even higher. In fact, now consumers are asking for wines with lower alcohol. But it's wrong to blame the grower for this; it's the climate." Interestingly, Gaja does not find a significant difference between the 2007 and 2006 vintages for his big nebbiolo wines, although he described the 2006s as "more Piemontese." The 2007 single-vineyard wines will be at their best 8 to 15 years after the vintage, says Gaja. "I'm not a great fan of very old wines, even Burgundy or Bordeaux," he told me. "I find Burgundy between 8 and 12 years old and Bordeaux between 9 and 15 to be at their most expressive stage for matching with food." Gaja notes that 2005 was much better for Barbaresco than for Barolo, as much of the harvest in Barbaresco was finished before the last damaging rains in early October, including all of his own nebbiolo from Barbaresco. Gaja continues to include about 5% barbera in his cru bottlings from Barbaresco, and a bit more in his Sperss (6%) and Conteisa (8%).

x000D According to Gaja, global warming has been beneficial for the wines of Barbaresco. "Before 1996 there was a big gap in quality between Barolo and Barbaresco," he told me. "Barolo was routinely a degree higher in alcohol-say 12.5% vs. 11.5%, or 13% vs. 12%. But today Barbaresco is commonly 13.5%, or even higher. In fact, now consumers are asking for wines with lower alcohol. But it's wrong to blame the grower for this; it's the climate." Interestingly, Gaja does not find a significant difference between the 2007 and 2006 vintages for his big nebbiolo wines, although he described the 2006s as "more Piemontese." The 2007 single-vineyard wines will be at their best 8 to 15 years after the vintage, says Gaja. "I'm not a great fan of very old wines, even Burgundy or Bordeaux," he told me. "I find Burgundy between 8 and 12 years old and Bordeaux between 9 and 15 to be at their most expressive stage for matching with food." Gaja notes that 2005 was much better for Barbaresco than for Barolo, as much of the harvest in Barbaresco was finished before the last damaging rains in early October, including all of his own nebbiolo from Barbaresco. Gaja continues to include about 5% barbera in his cru bottlings from Barbaresco, and a bit more in his Sperss (6%) and Conteisa (8%).

Angelo Gaja's 2006s from Barbaresco are lovely, although they require a bit of aeration to find their focus. Tthe 2006 Barbaresco in particular is quite an achievement in this challenging vintage. As always Gaja blends in a small percentage of Barbera for his single-vineyard Langhe wines.

Angelo Gaja is never at a loss for words, except for when it comes to his wines. Then again, what does Gaja need to say? Nothing. These wines speak volumes. Gaja's 2005s are among the highlights of what has turned out to be a mixed vintage in Barbaresco. Today, the Gaja winery is increasingly run by Gaja's daughters Gaia and Rossana. These wines are very much in the mold of the Barbarescos longtime winemaker Guido Rivella made during his long and distinguished career at Gaja.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

x000D According to Gaja, global warming has been beneficial for the wines of Barbaresco. "Before 1996 there was a big gap in quality between Barolo and Barbaresco," he told me. "Barolo was routinely a degree higher in alcohol-say 12.5% vs. 11.5%, or 13% vs. 12%. But today Barbaresco is commonly 13.5%, or even higher. In fact, now consumers are asking for wines with lower alcohol. But it's wrong to blame the grower for this; it's the climate." Interestingly, Gaja does not find a significant difference between the 2007 and 2006 vintages for his big nebbiolo wines, although he described the 2006s as "more Piemontese." The 2007 single-vineyard wines will be at their best 8 to 15 years after the vintage, says Gaja. "I'm not a great fan of very old wines, even Burgundy or Bordeaux," he told me. "I find Burgundy between 8 and 12 years old and Bordeaux between 9 and 15 to be at their most expressive stage for matching with food." Gaja notes that 2005 was much better for Barbaresco than for Barolo, as much of the harvest in Barbaresco was finished before the last damaging rains in early October, including all of his own nebbiolo from Barbaresco. Gaja continues to include about 5% barbera in his cru bottlings from Barbaresco, and a bit more in his Sperss (6%) and Conteisa (8%).

I was blown away by Angelo Gaja's 2005 wines from Barbaresco. When all is said and done, Gaja may have well produced not the wine, but rather the wines of the vintage in a year that was excellent but not profound. While Gaja's 2005 don't have the explosive, multi-dimensional personalities of his 2004s, they are vibrant offerings that will thrill readers who Piedmont wines. As always, Gaja blends in a small percentage of Barbera in his single-vineyard wines, but that is hardly noticeable in this vintage. I also noted less new oak than has generally been the case in the recent past. The wines showcase very pure expressions of Nebbiolo and are made in a style that appears to make fewer concessions to the decidedly international approach of previous vintages. In short, these are the most Piedmontese wines I have tasted from Angelo Gaja in a long time. Could it be that the greatest innovator in Piedmont over the last thirty five-plus years has taken a small step towards a more classic style?

"Elegance whispers and opulence shouts," said Angelo Gaja, trying to describe the difference between Barbaresco and Barolo. "Opulence is easy to perceive, but the elegant character of Barbaresco is much more difficult to describe. " Gaja described 2004 as "a big crop, and especially large for growers who did not do a green harvest. " The 2005 harvest brought a much lower crop level, and Gaja picked all of his Barbaresco nebbiolo prior to the early October rains. (This fact was confirmed by some of his neighbors who were caught with a portion of their fruit hanging. ) IWC readers with long memories will recall that Gaja told me a few years back that he doubted he would make his cru bottlings from the hot 2003 harvest. In the end, he did offer these wines, but in very limited quantities. "We essentially conducted three harvests in 2003 [beginning on September 12th in Barbaresco], and we eventually kept just 38% to 45% of the fruit, depending on the site. " As always, my mini-marathon at Gaja went by too quickly, as I tasted a number of sensational bottlings. Production here has been a stable 350,000 bottles in recent years. Incidentally, in the '03, '04 and '05 vintages, Gaja added about 5% barbera to his crus from the Barbaresco area, with the Sperss getting 6% barbera and the Conteisa 8%.

Over the years I have had many memorable tastings at Gaja, including the unforgettable afternoon a while back when Angelo Gaja opened all of his 1989s and 1990s for a retrospective tasting of both vintages. The room seemed to fill up with the most exotic Nebbiolo perfume imaginable. This tasting of the 2004s comes pretty close to that level, as the wines showed exceptionally well. Angelo Gaja adds that the harvest took place between October 15 and 20, a full month later than 2003, and compares 2004 to 1964, a year in which quality and yields were both high. I have also included notes on Gaja's wines from Barbaresco, as they were part of this session.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

"Elegance whispers and opulence shouts," said Angelo Gaja, trying to describe the difference between Barbaresco and Barolo. "Opulence is easy to perceive, but the elegant character of Barbaresco is much more difficult to describe. " Gaja described 2004 as "a big crop, and especially large for growers who did not do a green harvest. " The 2005 harvest brought a much lower crop level, and Gaja picked all of his Barbaresco nebbiolo prior to the early October rains. (This fact was confirmed by some of his neighbors who were caught with a portion of their fruit hanging. ) IWC readers with long memories will recall that Gaja told me a few years back that he doubted he would make his cru bottlings from the hot 2003 harvest. In the end, he did offer these wines, but in very limited quantities. "We essentially conducted three harvests in 2003 [beginning on September 12th in Barbaresco], and we eventually kept just 38% to 45% of the fruit, depending on the site. " As always, my mini-marathon at Gaja went by too quickly, as I tasted a number of sensational bottlings. Production here has been a stable 350,000 bottles in recent years. Incidentally, in the '03, '04 and '05 vintages, Gaja added about 5% barbera to his crus from the Barbaresco area, with the Sperss getting 6% barbera and the Conteisa 8%.

Angelo Gaja and long-time oenolog ist Guido Rivella produced some of the most monumental wines of their long, storied partnership in 2004. Although I admire Gaja's wines, especially for their cons istency, I rarely find them th is emotionally moving and utterly profound. The stable weather and cool, tempering evenings towards the end of the growing season allowed Gaja and Rivella to harvest fairly late in 2004. I remember passing by Gaja's Barbaresco vineyards in October of that year and seeing fruit still waiting to be picked long after most producers had already brought the fruit in. Gaja's 2004s from Barbaresco are especially breathtaking for their clarity and prec ision. The wines also seem less internationally-styled than in the past. Readers fortunate enough to possess the means to acquire these wines won't want to m iss them! The 2003s from the Barolo zones of La Morra and Serralunga are also strong efforts considering the vintage. “H istorically in Piedmont there has been an inverse relationship between quality and quantity. Great vintages like 1961 and 1989 were characterized by low yields,” says Gaja. “2004 is one of those rare vintages like 1964 and 1990 where quality is high even though yields were generous as well. I think 2004 is a very elegant vintage. It is much easier to achieve opulence in the wines, but finesse is always much more elusive.”

"Elegance whispers and opulence shouts," said Angelo Gaja, trying to describe the difference between Barbaresco and Barolo. "Opulence is easy to perceive, but the elegant character of Barbaresco is much more difficult to describe. " Gaja described 2004 as "a big crop, and especially large for growers who did not do a green harvest. " The 2005 harvest brought a much lower crop level, and Gaja picked all of his Barbaresco nebbiolo prior to the early October rains. (This fact was confirmed by some of his neighbors who were caught with a portion of their fruit hanging. ) IWC readers with long memories will recall that Gaja told me a few years back that he doubted he would make his cru bottlings from the hot 2003 harvest. In the end, he did offer these wines, but in very limited quantities. "We essentially conducted three harvests in 2003 [beginning on September 12th in Barbaresco], and we eventually kept just 38% to 45% of the fruit, depending on the site. " As always, my mini-marathon at Gaja went by too quickly, as I tasted a number of sensational bottlings. Production here has been a stable 350,000 bottles in recent years. Incidentally, in the '03, '04 and '05 vintages, Gaja added about 5% barbera to his crus from the Barbaresco area, with the Sperss getting 6% barbera and the Conteisa 8%.

In the challenging 2003 vintage Gaja proves once again that he is at the very top of his game and shows just how far ahead he is from the pack. “It is a strange vintage. At first the wines showed very little color, but then the barriques helped stabilize the color. You know how we producers can be, sometimes we overestimate a vintage, sometimes we underestimate it,” says Gaja. “In the end our biggest advantage in 2003 was being able to rely on the experience of winemaker Guido Rivella who has been with us since 1970 and is one the very few people who knows how to handle such difficult conditions.” Clearly the vintage plays into Gaja's strength, especially with his single-vineyard wines from Barbaresco which contain a small percentage of Barbera, a varietal that flourishes in hot weather. It is often the case that in hot vintages the differences between vineyards are less evident, but these 2003s are quite representative of their sites and readers will find that Gaja captured the hallmark expression of each wine despite the super-ripe style of the vintage. That said, this year, as in 2001, it is the Barbaresco that enjoys an especially strong showing. While it is impossible to refer to any of these wines as a “value” the qualitative difference between the Barbaresco and the single-vineyard wines is not as evident as prices might suggest. Winemaking here is rooted in both traditional and contemporary styles. Fermentation and maceration typically last about 15-20 days. The wines are aged for one year in barriques to set color, and then are moved to large casks where they complete their wood aging. Today the Nebbiolos contain a small amount of Barbera (between 5%-8%) which helps give the wines their distinctive personalities. Although the Gaja wines can be quite appealing when they are young, they have also proved to improve dramatically with a few years of bottle age and especially in structured vintages such as 2001 the wines will require quite a bit of patience.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Angelo Gaja isn't the talkative type too often these days. Most of the time I am greeted, left alone in a room to taste, and then greeted again before I leave. On this day, though, Gaja started talking about vintages, and in particular the misconception that wines from hot years don't age. Gaja cited 1961, a warm year in Piedmont, and one of the most legendary at the time. The wines aged just fine, added Gaja. What struck me most, though, was how clear Gaja's recollection was of events that transpired fifty years ago. I know only one other person in Piedmont who has a similarly sharp memory that goes that far back. What does that have to do with these 2001s? Not much, except that it seemed like an interesting anecdote to share.

In the challenging 2003 vintage Gaja proves once again that he is at the very top of his game and shows just how far ahead he is from the pack. “It is a strange vintage. At first the wines showed very little color, but then the barriques helped stabilize the color. You know how we producers can be, sometimes we overestimate a vintage, sometimes we underestimate it,” says Gaja. “In the end our biggest advantage in 2003 was being able to rely on the experience of winemaker Guido Rivella who has been with us since 1970 and is one the very few people who knows how to handle such difficult conditions.” Clearly the vintage plays into Gaja's strength, especially with his single-vineyard wines from Barbaresco which contain a small percentage of Barbera, a varietal that flourishes in hot weather. It is often the case that in hot vintages the differences between vineyards are less evident, but these 2003s are quite representative of their sites and readers will find that Gaja captured the hallmark expression of each wine despite the super-ripe style of the vintage. That said, this year, as in 2001, it is the Barbaresco that enjoys an especially strong showing. While it is impossible to refer to any of these wines as a “value” the qualitative difference between the Barbaresco and the single-vineyard wines is not as evident as prices might suggest. Winemaking here is rooted in both traditional and contemporary styles. Fermentation and maceration typically last about 15-20 days. The wines are aged for one year in barriques to set color, and then are moved to large casks where they complete their wood aging. Today the Nebbiolos contain a small amount of Barbera (between 5%-8%) which helps give the wines their distinctive personalities. Although the Gaja wines can be quite appealing when they are young, they have also proved to improve dramatically with a few years of bottle age and especially in structured vintages such as 2001 the wines will require quite a bit of patience.

Gaja describes his 1999 nebbiolo wines as outstanding, dense and extremely long, but notes that they are still a bit severe. Interestingly, he considers his '99s to be both less powerful and less approachable than the '00s, which he says are almost overripe but high in dry extract (two years ago, Gaja told me that rain in September of '99 increased the quantity of juice in that vintage by 20%). "Two thousand one has all the ingredients. It's elegant and structured, with no exaggeration. You know, elegance is always on a knife's edge. If it's not supported by body, the wine can seem simple. If there's too much body, the wine becomes a blockbuster and elegance disappears. "Yes, Gaja uses a lot of new barriques for his nebbiolo wines, but his vinification can hardly be compared to that of modernists who do quick fermentations in rotofermenters. Gaja essentially does five to seven days of fermentation at 28oC to 30oC, doing a lot of pumpovers "for the first 50% of the sugars," then brings the temperature down to 22oC for the second week and stops pumping over. There is then a third week of post-fermentation maceration. This perfectionist producer sold off almost all of his 2002 vintage in bulk, and told me he won't offer the 2003 crus either. "The summer was too hot, and the grapes burned," he explained. As I have noted previously, Gaja's top nebbiolo crus are now bottled with only their proprietary names rather than being identified as Barbaresco or Barolo. Among the reasons Gaja has dropped the Barbaresco and Barolo designations is that he wants to be free to include small percentages of barbera in his wines (typically just 5% or 6%), "as a correction for acidity. "

Gaja is the only Piedmont producer who attempted to articulate something I've felt in recent years about today's Barolos and Barbarescos. "We've been blessed by seven unusual vintages - unusual in the sense that they were consecutive. But there are also new tastes in our wines that we've never seen, a new complexity, maybe more texture. Perhaps it's partly due to the different angle of the sun during the growing season, which over the recent period has been starting a good 20 days earlier." The 2000 harvest was the earliest since 1997, Gaja went on. "In 2000 we are in a position to repeat the success of 1997; the wines are nearly as opulent and have slightly lower acidity. In '99, we did a severe green harvest, but rain in September expanded the grapes and increased the quantity of juice by 20%. These will be beautifully drinkable wines, perfect in restaurants but also with freshness and sound acidity for aging."Gaja's top nebbiolo crus are now bottled with only their proprietary names rather than being identified as Barbaresco or Barolo. The Conteisa features about 8% barbera, while his other crus generally include 5% or 6%. "The addition of some barbera is just a correction for acidity," noted Gaja. It brings no other obvious character. The wines are still very nebbiolo."

Angelo Gaja's 2000s are a bit of a mystery. The wines were absolutely beautiful upon release and equally impressive when I tasted them a few years later for the 7th edition of Parker's Wine Buyers Guide. The 2000s were far less convincing when I tasted them in November 2010. All of the wines were initially very reticent and closed. After an hour or two in the glass they opened for about 30 minutes before closing back down again. Gaja thinks the wines are passing through a stage of inaccessibility. If anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt it is Gaja. I can't remember the last older wine from this cellar that was a disappointment or that hadn't aged well, and I have been privileged to taste the vast majority of wines that have been made here under Angelo Gaja's tenure. Time will ultimately tell where these wines are headed, but this was not an especially flattering showing for Gaja's 2000s. That said, most producers would be thrilled to have wines like these in their cellars. In some ways, Gaja is a victim of his own success. He sets such a high bar with his finest vintages; it is only natural to expect greatness all the time. The 2000s fall a bit short of that mark but are quite strong in the context of the year.

Gaja describes his 1999 nebbiolo wines as outstanding, dense and extremely long, but notes that they are still a bit severe. Interestingly, he considers his '99s to be both less powerful and less approachable than the '00s, which he says are almost overripe but high in dry extract (two years ago, Gaja told me that rain in September of '99 increased the quantity of juice in that vintage by 20%). "Two thousand one has all the ingredients. It's elegant and structured, with no exaggeration. You know, elegance is always on a knife's edge. If it's not supported by body, the wine can seem simple. If there's too much body, the wine becomes a blockbuster and elegance disappears. "Yes, Gaja uses a lot of new barriques for his nebbiolo wines, but his vinification can hardly be compared to that of modernists who do quick fermentations in rotofermenters. Gaja essentially does five to seven days of fermentation at 28oC to 30oC, doing a lot of pumpovers "for the first 50% of the sugars," then brings the temperature down to 22oC for the second week and stops pumping over. There is then a third week of post-fermentation maceration. This perfectionist producer sold off almost all of his 2002 vintage in bulk, and told me he won't offer the 2003 crus either. "The summer was too hot, and the grapes burned," he explained. As I have noted previously, Gaja's top nebbiolo crus are now bottled with only their proprietary names rather than being identified as Barbaresco or Barolo. Among the reasons Gaja has dropped the Barbaresco and Barolo designations is that he wants to be free to include small percentages of barbera in his wines (typically just 5% or 6%), "as a correction for acidity. "

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Angelo Gaja's 1999s have turned out brilliantly. Gaja chose to show all of these wines from magnum, which might help explain why the wines are so strong. At the same time, a recent bottle of the Sorì San Lorenzo was incredibly impressive. In any event, 1999 is an above average vintage at Gaja. I don't see the wines as super long-term agers, so readers should not be planning on extended cellaring for any of these wines.

Angelo Gaja produced a very strong series of wines in 1999. While they may not have the flashiness or early appeal of vintages such as 1997 and 2000, the 1999s show much complexity and structure. I spent over two hours with these wines at the estate and during that time the wines continued to open, gradually revealing their multiple layers of aromas and flavors. I also noted more of a qualitative difference between the Barbaresco and the Langhe wines from Barbaresco than was the case in vintages 2000 and 2001. Speaking of his 1999s Gaja says “There is no question the vintage was overlooked. To put things in perspective though, remember that we used to have one or two great vintages a decade. Vintages 1988, 1989 and 1990 were the first time we had ever seen three important vintages back-to-back, even if 1988 was not quite at the same level as the following two vintages. I suppose it was no surprise that the press, especially the local Italian press, was especially skeptical when we producers claimed to have yet another great vintage on our hands in 1999 following the excellent 1996, 1997 and 1998 vintages. However, it is a classic vintage in which I believe very much. Like my 1996s, the only thing these wines need is additional bottle age.”

As always, the house style is very much present in the wines. Beginning in 1996 the Langhe wines contain a small amount of Barbera (between 5-8%) which Gaja says is added to give the wines additional acidity. Vinification remains fairly traditional by today's standards. Fermentation and maceration last about three weeks. For the Barbaresco the fermentation takes place at a temperature of roughly 82 ̊F (28 ̊C). Gaja uses a slightly different approach for his ‘crus' Sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì Tildìn, Costa Russi, Conteisa, and Sperss, for which the temperature during fermentation is lowered to 64 ̊F (18 ̊C) after the first week. All of the wines undergo malolactic fermentation in barrique. The wines then age one year in barrique and a second year in cask. For his Darmagi Gaja employs a shorter fermentation lasting 10-15 days. The wine sees 6-8 months in barrique followed by one year in large oak casks.

Gaja is the only Piedmont producer who attempted to articulate something I've felt in recent years about today's Barolos and Barbarescos. "We've been blessed by seven unusual vintages - unusual in the sense that they were consecutive. But there are also new tastes in our wines that we've never seen, a new complexity, maybe more texture. Perhaps it's partly due to the different angle of the sun during the growing season, which over the recent period has been starting a good 20 days earlier." The 2000 harvest was the earliest since 1997, Gaja went on. "In 2000 we are in a position to repeat the success of 1997; the wines are nearly as opulent and have slightly lower acidity. In '99, we did a severe green harvest, but rain in September expanded the grapes and increased the quantity of juice by 20%. These will be beautifully drinkable wines, perfect in restaurants but also with freshness and sound acidity for aging."Gaja's top nebbiolo crus are now bottled with only their proprietary names rather than being identified as Barbaresco or Barolo. The Conteisa features about 8% barbera, while his other crus generally include 5% or 6%. "The addition of some barbera is just a correction for acidity," noted Gaja. It brings no other obvious character. The wines are still very nebbiolo."

Angelo Gaja spent a half hour explaining his controversial decision to bottle his Barbaresco (and Barolo) crus by their proprietary names rather than using the appellation. The history behind his decision dates back to the late 1960s, he began. Ever since Giacosa and Ratti and Prunotto began producing vineyard-designated wines (influenced by the wine writer Luigi Veronelli, who in turn was inspired by the French concept of individual site character at lower yield), hundreds of ex-grape growers in Barbaresco and Barolo have become producers. Over time, all have created their own pyramids of quality and prices. "The consumer has come to believe that the single-vineyard wines of each estate represented its highest quality, and began to devalue 'ordinary' or 'regular' Barbaresco," explained Gaja. "In a Catholic-Communist country like Italy, we have a culture of suspicion," Gaja theorized, "and now when people hear the word Barbaresco, they always associate it with 'straight' or 'ordinary' Barbaresco. But my three single-vineyard Barbarescos are niche wines; together they represent just 25% of my Barbaresco production. Now I will have only one wine labelled Barbaresco," said Gaja, adding that this wine will grow more rapidly in price in the future than the crus. "Now it will be the Barbaresco of Gaja, not Gaja straight Barbaresco." x000D x000D But what about Barolo, I asked Gaja: Surely the name Barolo hasn't been devalued in the same way-"and you don't offer a 'basic' Barolo anyway." "I couldn't handle my Barolo crus any differently," he replied.x000D x000D Gaja says he never wanted to use the vino da tavola appellation. "That was a Tuscan concept, and in any event I don't think we can make a better wine in the Piedmont than Barbaresco or Barolo." The Langhe appellation was introduced with the '93 vintage, and thus Gaja made the commercial decision to label his wines with their brand names (as opposed to a geographic name) and the generic designation Langhe Nebbiolo. But he waited until the '96, '97 and '98 vintages to make the step official on his labels, since the high quality of these vintages would make it apparent to his customers that he was not declassifying his wines.x000D x000D Using the Langhe Nebbiolo appellation also offers Gaja the flexibility to include up to 15% of other red varieties, whereas wine labelled Barbaresco or Barolo must be 100% nebbiolo. Although Gaja was reportedly the leader of a group of winemakers who failed to convince the authorities to allow the use of a small percentage of other grape varieties in Barbaresco, he told me he has no immediate plans to use other varieties, although he does have barbera planted in several of his cru vineyards. Two to five percent of barbera could be used, for example, to lift the acidity of a wine, says Gaja. "There's a belief here that cabernet can make everything better, even coffee," Gaja told me, but then added that he would be more likely to use indigenous red varieties than international ones like cabernet or merlot.x000D x000D Gaja describes the '96s as rigorous wines that are not immediately approachable, while the '97s are dense, rich and relatively easy to drink. The '98s may not be as dense as '97 or rigorous as '96, but the vintage combines the characteristics of the two earlier years and is at the same lofty quality level, he adds. Nineteen ninety-nine, says Gaja, yielded a large crop and varying quality: "Some wines will be very concentrated, but 75% will be characterized more by their elegance." Yields in Gaja's crus are always among the lowest in the region: around 30 hectoliters per hectare in '96 and '98, and between 25 and 30 in '97.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Gaja is the only Piedmont producer who attempted to articulate something I've felt in recent years about today's Barolos and Barbarescos. "We've been blessed by seven unusual vintages - unusual in the sense that they were consecutive. But there are also new tastes in our wines that we've never seen, a new complexity, maybe more texture. Perhaps it's partly due to the different angle of the sun during the growing season, which over the recent period has been starting a good 20 days earlier." The 2000 harvest was the earliest since 1997, Gaja went on. "In 2000 we are in a position to repeat the success of 1997; the wines are nearly as opulent and have slightly lower acidity. In '99, we did a severe green harvest, but rain in September expanded the grapes and increased the quantity of juice by 20%. These will be beautifully drinkable wines, perfect in restaurants but also with freshness and sound acidity for aging."Gaja's top nebbiolo crus are now bottled with only their proprietary names rather than being identified as Barbaresco or Barolo. The Conteisa features about 8% barbera, while his other crus generally include 5% or 6%. "The addition of some barbera is just a correction for acidity," noted Gaja. It brings no other obvious character. The wines are still very nebbiolo."

Angelo Gaja spent a half hour explaining his controversial decision to bottle his Barbaresco (and Barolo) crus by their proprietary names rather than using the appellation. The history behind his decision dates back to the late 1960s, he began. Ever since Giacosa and Ratti and Prunotto began producing vineyard-designated wines (influenced by the wine writer Luigi Veronelli, who in turn was inspired by the French concept of individual site character at lower yield), hundreds of ex-grape growers in Barbaresco and Barolo have become producers. Over time, all have created their own pyramids of quality and prices. "The consumer has come to believe that the single-vineyard wines of each estate represented its highest quality, and began to devalue 'ordinary' or 'regular' Barbaresco," explained Gaja. "In a Catholic-Communist country like Italy, we have a culture of suspicion," Gaja theorized, "and now when people hear the word Barbaresco, they always associate it with 'straight' or 'ordinary' Barbaresco. But my three single-vineyard Barbarescos are niche wines; together they represent just 25% of my Barbaresco production. Now I will have only one wine labelled Barbaresco," said Gaja, adding that this wine will grow more rapidly in price in the future than the crus. "Now it will be the Barbaresco of Gaja, not Gaja straight Barbaresco." x000D x000D But what about Barolo, I asked Gaja: Surely the name Barolo hasn't been devalued in the same way-"and you don't offer a 'basic' Barolo anyway." "I couldn't handle my Barolo crus any differently," he replied.x000D x000D Gaja says he never wanted to use the vino da tavola appellation. "That was a Tuscan concept, and in any event I don't think we can make a better wine in the Piedmont than Barbaresco or Barolo." The Langhe appellation was introduced with the '93 vintage, and thus Gaja made the commercial decision to label his wines with their brand names (as opposed to a geographic name) and the generic designation Langhe Nebbiolo. But he waited until the '96, '97 and '98 vintages to make the step official on his labels, since the high quality of these vintages would make it apparent to his customers that he was not declassifying his wines.x000D x000D Using the Langhe Nebbiolo appellation also offers Gaja the flexibility to include up to 15% of other red varieties, whereas wine labelled Barbaresco or Barolo must be 100% nebbiolo. Although Gaja was reportedly the leader of a group of winemakers who failed to convince the authorities to allow the use of a small percentage of other grape varieties in Barbaresco, he told me he has no immediate plans to use other varieties, although he does have barbera planted in several of his cru vineyards. Two to five percent of barbera could be used, for example, to lift the acidity of a wine, says Gaja. "There's a belief here that cabernet can make everything better, even coffee," Gaja told me, but then added that he would be more likely to use indigenous red varieties than international ones like cabernet or merlot.x000D x000D Gaja describes the '96s as rigorous wines that are not immediately approachable, while the '97s are dense, rich and relatively easy to drink. The '98s may not be as dense as '97 or rigorous as '96, but the vintage combines the characteristics of the two earlier years and is at the same lofty quality level, he adds. Nineteen ninety-nine, says Gaja, yielded a large crop and varying quality: "Some wines will be very concentrated, but 75% will be characterized more by their elegance." Yields in Gaja's crus are always among the lowest in the region: around 30 hectoliters per hectare in '96 and '98, and between 25 and 30 in '97.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Angelo Gaja spent a half hour explaining his controversial decision to bottle his Barbaresco (and Barolo) crus by their proprietary names rather than using the appellation. The history behind his decision dates back to the late 1960s, he began. Ever since Giacosa and Ratti and Prunotto began producing vineyard-designated wines (influenced by the wine writer Luigi Veronelli, who in turn was inspired by the French concept of individual site character at lower yield), hundreds of ex-grape growers in Barbaresco and Barolo have become producers. Over time, all have created their own pyramids of quality and prices. "The consumer has come to believe that the single-vineyard wines of each estate represented its highest quality, and began to devalue 'ordinary' or 'regular' Barbaresco," explained Gaja. "In a Catholic-Communist country like Italy, we have a culture of suspicion," Gaja theorized, "and now when people hear the word Barbaresco, they always associate it with 'straight' or 'ordinary' Barbaresco. But my three single-vineyard Barbarescos are niche wines; together they represent just 25% of my Barbaresco production. Now I will have only one wine labelled Barbaresco," said Gaja, adding that this wine will grow more rapidly in price in the future than the crus. "Now it will be the Barbaresco of Gaja, not Gaja straight Barbaresco." x000D x000D But what about Barolo, I asked Gaja: Surely the name Barolo hasn't been devalued in the same way-"and you don't offer a 'basic' Barolo anyway." "I couldn't handle my Barolo crus any differently," he replied.x000D x000D Gaja says he never wanted to use the vino da tavola appellation. "That was a Tuscan concept, and in any event I don't think we can make a better wine in the Piedmont than Barbaresco or Barolo." The Langhe appellation was introduced with the '93 vintage, and thus Gaja made the commercial decision to label his wines with their brand names (as opposed to a geographic name) and the generic designation Langhe Nebbiolo. But he waited until the '96, '97 and '98 vintages to make the step official on his labels, since the high quality of these vintages would make it apparent to his customers that he was not declassifying his wines.x000D x000D Using the Langhe Nebbiolo appellation also offers Gaja the flexibility to include up to 15% of other red varieties, whereas wine labelled Barbaresco or Barolo must be 100% nebbiolo. Although Gaja was reportedly the leader of a group of winemakers who failed to convince the authorities to allow the use of a small percentage of other grape varieties in Barbaresco, he told me he has no immediate plans to use other varieties, although he does have barbera planted in several of his cru vineyards. Two to five percent of barbera could be used, for example, to lift the acidity of a wine, says Gaja. "There's a belief here that cabernet can make everything better, even coffee," Gaja told me, but then added that he would be more likely to use indigenous red varieties than international ones like cabernet or merlot.x000D x000D Gaja describes the '96s as rigorous wines that are not immediately approachable, while the '97s are dense, rich and relatively easy to drink. The '98s may not be as dense as '97 or rigorous as '96, but the vintage combines the characteristics of the two earlier years and is at the same lofty quality level, he adds. Nineteen ninety-nine, says Gaja, yielded a large crop and varying quality: "Some wines will be very concentrated, but 75% will be characterized more by their elegance." Yields in Gaja's crus are always among the lowest in the region: around 30 hectoliters per hectare in '96 and '98, and between 25 and 30 in '97.

After being told by numerous Barolo producers that '96 and '97 resembled '89 and '90, respectively, I was intrigued by Angelo Gaja assertion that '97 was rather like '89. Gaja, whose wines are quite high in tannins (including substantial oak tannins) but are rarely tough, clearly prefers a lower acid, more opulent, supple vintage like '97, which may be better suited to his winemaking style. But he admits that 1996 will be widely compared with 1990 because it so good in important growing regions across Europe. But 1997 is the most approachable of the last three vintages, as well as the highest in extract, says Gaja. "1995 has more nervous, aggressive tannins, like '82 or '78, and will need time. The wines will be at their best in 10 to 15 years." In style, 1996 is somewhere between '97 and '95, he adds. x000D x000D x000D Total maceration here lasts from 20 to 24 days, with the temperature highest during the first four or five days, when there is a lot of pumping over of the must. The temperature is then brought down to about 18 degrees Celsius for the rest of the fermentation and further maceration, and there is no further pumping over. Gaja used a relatively high 40% new oak for the '96s, but between 20% and 30% for '97 and '95.

Gaja was THE estate in Piedmont back in 1996 when Angelo Gaja and Guido Rivella made these wines. Since then, quality has gone up meaningfully at many estates throughout Piedmont. Driven by an unrelenting quest for perfection, Gaja took his family's estate to the top. These wines show that all the hype that surrounded Gaja during this era was more than justified. Quite simply, the Gaja 1996s are stellar. Today, twenty-plus years later, Gaja doesn't seem to have lost any of the energy he had back then. If anything, he appears to be re-energized by the presence of his daughters Gaia and Rossana at the winery, while son Giovanni is learning about the sales and distribution part of the business in the US. The 1996s are the first vintage Gaja made outside of the formal Barbaresco and Barolo designations for his five crus: Costa Russi, Sorì Tildìn, Sorì San Lorenzo, Conteisa and Sperss. The wines all had a small amount of Barbera blended in, ostensibly to aid with acidity. Interestingly, the Gaja children have brought all five wines back into their historic denominations while pursuing a more sustainable approach to farming and, especially in recent years, improving quality in a meaningful way.

After being told by numerous Barolo producers that '96 and '97 resembled '89 and '90, respectively, I was intrigued by Angelo Gaja assertion that '97 was rather like '89. Gaja, whose wines are quite high in tannins (including substantial oak tannins) but are rarely tough, clearly prefers a lower acid, more opulent, supple vintage like '97, which may be better suited to his winemaking style. But he admits that 1996 will be widely compared with 1990 because it so good in important growing regions across Europe. But 1997 is the most approachable of the last three vintages, as well as the highest in extract, says Gaja. "1995 has more nervous, aggressive tannins, like '82 or '78, and will need time. The wines will be at their best in 10 to 15 years." In style, 1996 is somewhere between '97 and '95, he adds. x000D x000D x000D Total maceration here lasts from 20 to 24 days, with the temperature highest during the first four or five days, when there is a lot of pumping over of the must. The temperature is then brought down to about 18 degrees Celsius for the rest of the fermentation and further maceration, and there is no further pumping over. Gaja used a relatively high 40% new oak for the '96s, but between 20% and 30% for '97 and '95.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

After being told by numerous Barolo producers that '96 and '97 resembled '89 and '90, respectively, I was intrigued by Angelo Gaja assertion that '97 was rather like '89. Gaja, whose wines are quite high in tannins (including substantial oak tannins) but are rarely tough, clearly prefers a lower acid, more opulent, supple vintage like '97, which may be better suited to his winemaking style. But he admits that 1996 will be widely compared with 1990 because it so good in important growing regions across Europe. But 1997 is the most approachable of the last three vintages, as well as the highest in extract, says Gaja. "1995 has more nervous, aggressive tannins, like '82 or '78, and will need time. The wines will be at their best in 10 to 15 years." In style, 1996 is somewhere between '97 and '95, he adds. x000D x000D x000D Total maceration here lasts from 20 to 24 days, with the temperature highest during the first four or five days, when there is a lot of pumping over of the must. The temperature is then brought down to about 18 degrees Celsius for the rest of the fermentation and further maceration, and there is no further pumping over. Gaja used a relatively high 40% new oak for the '96s, but between 20% and 30% for '97 and '95.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Angelo Gaja's 1989s and 1990s are simply glorious. Gaja is frequently criticized, especially in Italy, a country that has an uneasy relationship with success of any kind. To be sure, Gaja likes to mix things up with views that are at times perhaps unnecessarily provocative. Prices have always been a point of contention among the estate's detractors, as even Gaja's father Giovanni sold his own wines at prices considered to be astronomical more than 50 years ago. At the end of the day, though, the only thing that counts is what is in the glass, and the simple truth is that these wines are utterly mind-blowing. Angelo Gaja had at least one big advantage vis-à-vis his neighbors. Gaja began working full-time at his family's winery in 1969, and was followed a year later in 1970 by oenologist Guido Rivella. By the time 1989 came around Gaja and Rivella had been working together for nearly 20 years, and were perfectly positioned to make the most of these two historic harvests, which they certainly did. Gaja was so far ahead of his time that there are plenty producers in Piedmont (and Italy) that still haven't caught up to the groundbreaking wines he made 20 years ago. I have had many of these wines recently in less formal settings and have never been anything less than deeply impressed. Readers fortunate to own these bottles should be thrilled. For his 1989s and 1990s, Gaja carried out the malolactic fermentations in stainless steel and aged the wines for a year in French oak followed by a year in cask, an approach he employs today. Though often labeled a modernist, these wines attest rather eloquently to the glacial aging that is the hallmark of the house style, even if the wines are often flashy upon release. One of the very few critiques I can make is that Sorì San Lorenzo and Sperss are far more consistently profound today than they were 20 years ago, as both have come a long way over the last 20 years. If there is one truism with Gaja, it is that one only needs to taste the Barbaresco to understand the quality of the vintage. When the Barbaresco is truly great (as it is in 1997, 2001, 2004 and 2007) all of the other wines will almost certainly be profound.

This wine was tasted as a part of wine collector Bruce Fingeret's 50th Birthday Party, July 2008.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Angelo Gaja's 1989s and 1990s are simply glorious. Gaja is frequently criticized, especially in Italy, a country that has an uneasy relationship with success of any kind. To be sure, Gaja likes to mix things up with views that are at times perhaps unnecessarily provocative. Prices have always been a point of contention among the estate's detractors, as even Gaja's father Giovanni sold his own wines at prices considered to be astronomical more than 50 years ago. At the end of the day, though, the only thing that counts is what is in the glass, and the simple truth is that these wines are utterly mind-blowing. Angelo Gaja had at least one big advantage vis-à-vis his neighbors. Gaja began working full-time at his family's winery in 1969, and was followed a year later in 1970 by oenologist Guido Rivella. By the time 1989 came around Gaja and Rivella had been working together for nearly 20 years, and were perfectly positioned to make the most of these two historic harvests, which they certainly did. Gaja was so far ahead of his time that there are plenty producers in Piedmont (and Italy) that still haven't caught up to the groundbreaking wines he made 20 years ago. I have had many of these wines recently in less formal settings and have never been anything less than deeply impressed. Readers fortunate to own these bottles should be thrilled. For his 1989s and 1990s, Gaja carried out the malolactic fermentations in stainless steel and aged the wines for a year in French oak followed by a year in cask, an approach he employs today. Though often labeled a modernist, these wines attest rather eloquently to the glacial aging that is the hallmark of the house style, even if the wines are often flashy upon release. One of the very few critiques I can make is that Sorì San Lorenzo and Sperss are far more consistently profound today than they were 20 years ago, as both have come a long way over the last 20 years. If there is one truism with Gaja, it is that one only needs to taste the Barbaresco to understand the quality of the vintage. When the Barbaresco is truly great (as it is in 1997, 2001, 2004 and 2007) all of the other wines will almost certainly be profound.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

This wine was tasted at La Festa del Barolo 2011 at Del Posto, New York, in March 2011

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

1978 in Piedmont remains one of the most historic vintages in the world the world of fine, collectible wine. Even today, at thirty years of age, well-preserved bottles remain positively youthful, with plenty of life ahead of them. Yet virtually no one could have ever imagined the harvest would turn out as it eventually did. An irregular bud break that year acted as nature's version of a green harvest. The plants carried very little fruit into a summer that was especially cool, even by the standards of the time. Needless to say, early prospects were not encouraging. Then, miraculously, the region saw a month of intense, uninterrupted sunshine and heat beginning in early September that allowed the fruit to ripen perfectly. The hot daytime temperatures were balanced by cool nights, just the type of weather Nebbiolo thrives in. Because yields were low, all of the energy the plants received was channeled into a tiny amount of fruit. At harvest time the grapes were thick-skinned and contained relatively little juice. The wines showed intense color, expressive aromatics and ripe fruit, buffered by imposing tannins. Incredibly, these are qualities the wines still have today!

Usually tastings like these tend to focus on the icon wines of the vintage, which I suppose is natural. As much as I love drinking those bottles, I especially enjoyed this dinner as we had a few top-tier wines mixed in with lesser known bottlings. Everyone at the table was impressed by the strong showing of the wines, especially those we expected the least from. Readers who want to learn more about the vintage might like to take a look at Vintage Retrospective: The 1978 Barolos and Barbarescos, and A Memorable Evening of Barolo and Barbaresco: 1978 – 1990, as well as the vinous.com database, which contains recent notes on over thirty wines from the vintage. I would like to thank Marty Neschis for organizing this fun, informal tasting at Pepolino, a popular Manhattan restaurant.

This recent dinner was a great opportunity to catch up with friends over a leisurely meal and enjoy some nice bottles. The food was off the charts, and the wines were pretty terrific too.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Since its debut in 1967, Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo has established itself as one of the truly iconic 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.

Tasted over lunch at Del Posto Ristorante in New York City, December 2007.