1993 Gaja Barbaresco Sori Tildin

Gaja's 1993 Barbarescos (he declassified all his crus in 1991 and 1992) are good, but anyone expecting a level of quality matching what he obtained in 1988, 1989, and 1990 will be disappointed. The wines are more compact and downsized compared to the three aforementioned vintages. The most interesting is the medium ruby-colored 1993 Barbaresco Sori Tilden. It offers up a Burgundian-like, sweet cherry, earthy, smoky tobacco character. In the mouth, the wine reveals the most intensity, sweetest fruit, and greatest length of this quartet. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and spicy, with some of the vintage's tell-tale dry tannin, the wine has plenty of fruit for balance. This is an excellent example of Sori Tilden that should drink well for 10-15 years, but it is not comparable to the 1988, 1989, or 1990. Three wines I tasted from Gaja that did not make the recommended list include the vegetal, woody, tannic 1991 Darmagi Cabernet Sauvignon ($90), the richer, riper, but still too oaky and tannic 1993 Darmagi Cabernet Sauvignon ($90), and the good but uninspiring 1994 Barbera Sito Rey ($42). Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (516) 467-5907

Gaja's 1993 Barbarescos (he declassified all his crus in 1991 and 1992) are good, but anyone expecting a level of quality matching what he obtained in 1988, 1989, and 1990 will be disappointed. The wines are more compact and downsized compared to the three aforementioned vintages. The most interesting is the medium ruby-colored 1993 Barbaresco Sori Tilden. It offers up a Burgundian-like, sweet cherry, earthy, smoky tobacco character. In the mouth, the wine reveals the most intensity, sweetest fruit, and greatest length of this quartet. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and spicy, with some of the vintage's tell-tale dry tannin, the wine has plenty of fruit for balance. This is an excellent example of Sori Tilden that should drink well for 10-15 years, but it is not comparable to the 1988, 1989, or 1990. Aug 1997, www.robertparker.com