1996 Gaja Langhe Sori San Lorenzo
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Tasting notes
Gaja's 1996 Sorì San Lorenzo is epic. A huge, towering wine, the 1996 Sorì San Lorenzo wraps around the palate with magnificent depth, power and intensity. Smoke, charcoal embers, menthol, licorice, plum, spice and gravel are all pushed forward. Sorì San Lorenzo always yields broad, virile wines. Those qualities marry perfectly with the style of the vintage to produce a vivid, memorable wine of the very highest level. Readers who own or can find the 1996 Sorì San Lorenzo should not hesitate, as it is truly thrilling from the very first taste. Wow!
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
The dense opaque purple-colored 1996 Sori San Lorenzo possesses complex aromatics, consisting of classic Nebbiolo scents of rose petals, dried herbs, spice box, cedar, and abundant jammy black cherry and berry fruit. It is impressively powerful and muscular, with moderate tannin, a sweet, unctuous texture, and a 40+ second finish. Although the aromatics are stunning, this 1996 remains youthful and backward. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025. As I reported in issue #124 (8-27-99), 1996 is a spectacular vintage for Angelo Gaja. There is a lot of speculation as to why he has dropped the name Barbaresco from the labels of his single-vineyard wines, but given his personality and overall commitment to quality, it can only be to improve the quality and give him some flexibility in difficult vintages to produce a wine that may or may not be 100% Nebbiolo. At least that's how I view it. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (516) 467-5907
The dense opaque purple-colored 1996 Sori San Lorenzo possesses complex aromatics, consisting of classic Nebbiolo scents of rose petals, dried herbs, spice box, cedar, and abundant jammy black cherry and berry fruit. It is impressively powerful and muscular, with moderate tannin, a sweet, unctuous texture, and a 40+ second finish. Although the aromatics are stunning, this 1996 remains youthful and backward. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025. Aug 2000, www.robertparker.com
Dark ruby. Purest vibrant aromas of violet, blackberry and blueberry. Extremely dense and concentrated, with a powerful spine of acidity giving the wine great vibrancy and grip. Seems even sweeter than the Sori Tildin, with powerful extract to stand up to the big, dusty tannins, but here the rather strong wood tannins still need another 6 to 12 months to be absorbed. Not yet harmonious, but potentially great.
About the producer
Gaja has been at the forefront of the Piedmont wine scene for many years and is Barbaresco’s most decorated producer. The winery has received a record number of Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards – the highest accolade from Italy’s leading wine publication.