Tasting Notes
Vinous 94+
Dark berries, rose petals plums, spices, mocha and licorice emerge from the 2010 Sorì Tildìn. The 2010 is a big, rich wine with surprising mid-palate density and power, perhaps just a bit less nuance than in most years. Layers of fruit build to a huge, enveloping finish supported by broad brush strokes of tannin. With time in the glass, some of the more typical floral notes of this site come through, but in the end the 2010 remains a bit of a brute. The 2010 is promising, even if it is a bit wild and not as polished as is typically the case. It will be interesting to see where the 2010 goes. Will it find its typical finesse, or remain a powerhouse?
Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030
Robert Parker 96
Gaia Gaja uses the word “salty†to describe this next wine, and I see her point. The 2010 Sori Tildin shows a dry, firmly structured quality that enhances those extraordinary, breezy overtones of lead pencil and brimstone that so fittingly frame the Nebbiolo grape. The lingering end-notes of rose petal, ginger and cedar are striking. You immediately feel the tannic structure and power of the wine. The jump is very sharp next to the Costa Russi, and that’s why this is one of Gaja’s best cellar-agers. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040. Just a short while ago, in the midst of one of Italy’s darkest political hours when forming a functioning government seemed like an exercise in futility, someone sent me a Facebook petition proposing Angelo Gaja as a candidate for President of the Republic of Italy. Although Angelo himself would brush it off as jest, that seedling of a (good) idea took the Internet by firestorm. What he has demonstrated over the years, besides from his infectious enthusiasm and keen ability to communicate his thoughts with brilliant clarity and gumption, is a natural ability for leadership. Barbaresco is lucky to have an Angelo Gaja, the Langhe is lucky to have him, and Italy is, too. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604-8900
Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040