Barbaresco Sori San Lorenzo, Gaja 2013

Gaja's Sorì San Lorenzo, arguably the most iconic of all the wines, is superb. The 2013 is dark, virile and imposing, with a more classically leaning expression of power than in the recent past, not to mention tons of raw intensity. A host of graphite, savory herb, menthol, licorice, lavender, smoke and dark-fleshed fruits meld into the huge, tannic finish. There is a touch of French oak, but the personality of this site marries very naturally with the cooperage.

Congratulations to the Gaja family and their 2013 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo. This is a sheer and powerful expression of Nebbiolo that boasts a very firm and precise textural quality. The wine is 100% Nebbiolo, as blended Barbera is no longer part of the Sorì San Lorenzo DNA. The tannins are sharply delineated with a crunchy snap that you feel on the palate. This should definitely serve to keep the wine firmly rooted and committed to a slow aging trajectory. That structural firmness is the defining characteristic of this wine, and that unique identity is even more evident now that this wine is officially classified as Barbaresco.