2004 Gaja Langhe Sori Tildin

Good red-ruby. Superripe aromas of raspberry syrup and black plum, lifted by a whiff of juniper. Sweet, dense and deep, showing more oak today than the Costa Russi. Higher-pitched and less obviously complex today but this has a bit more stuffing for the long run. Finishes with substantial tongue-dusting tannins and a late hint of chocolate. This parcel is located at the windy top of the hill, and is slower to ripen than the Costa Russi, despite getting more sunshine.

Gaja's 2004 Sorì Tildìn floats on the palate. It is the most nuanced of these single-vineyard offerings, with gorgeous notes of tar, smoke, roses, violets, sweet toasted oak and earthiness that emerge from the glass in a counterpoint of sublime elegance and stunning purity. It possesses superb length and elegant, silky tannins to round out the fin ish. this extraordinary Sorì Tildìn will require at least a few years of bottle age, but it is destined to be one of the vintage's legendary wines.

Gaja’s 2004 Sori Tildin floats on the palate. It is the most nuanced of these single-vineyard offerings, with gorgeous notes of tar, smoke, roses, violets, sweet toasted oak and earthiness that emerge from the glass in a counterpoint of sublime elegance and stunning purity. It possesses superb length and elegant, silky tannins to round out the finish. This extraordinary Sori Tildin will require at least a few years of bottle age, but it is destined to be one of the vintage’s legendary wines. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Angelo Gaja and long-time oenologist 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 consistency, I rarely find them this 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 precision. 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 miss them! The 2003s from the Barolo zones of La Morra and Serralunga are also strong efforts considering the vintage. “Historically 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.” Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604 8900