2009 Gaja Barbaresco Sori Tildin

The 2009 Sori Tildin is a fascinating wine. The vineyard sits just above Costa Russi, separated only by the road that leads to Alba. This is an especially imposing vintage for Sori Tildin. Over time, the wine’s signature nuances and details begin to emerge. A radiant, sensual personality rounds things out nicely. This is a great showing from Gaja. The 2009 shuts down quickly in the glass, and is likely to demand a measure of patience from readers. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. Angelo Gaja doesn’t say too much about his wines these days. He doesn’t need to. The wines more than speak for themselves. What impresses me most about the 2009s is the elegance of their tannin. This is a vintage where managing the crop load was critical in achieving balance. Gaja is one of the very few growers who got it right. His wines stand out for their textural finesse and sense of harmony. Although Gaja is easily the most glamorous winery in Piedmont, it remains a family affair, with Angelo Gaja’s wife Lucia, and their daughters Gaia and Rossana increasingly involved, and their younger brother Giovanni set to follow in their footsteps. Long-time winemaker Guido Rivella keeps a much lower profile, but he is the man who has produced all of Gaja’s most legendary wines going back to 1970. Angelo Gaja describes 2009 as a year with a lot of rain until June. The bunches on average were loose and the berries small, which resulted in high skin-to-juice ratios, which is quite favorable for ageworthy wines. Importer: Terlato Wines International, Lake Bluff, IL; tel. (847) 604 8900

Good full medium red. Inviting aromas of plum, redcurrant, dark raspberry, smoked meat and minerals, with lively floral lift. Then juicy and tight on entry, conveying a stronger impression of acidity but less early sweetness than the Costa Russi. There's plenty of alcohol here but also terrific depth of dark fruit, especially on the long back end. Serious tannins arrive late and give this suave wine a strong backbone for aging.

The 2009 Sori Tildin is a fascinating wine. The vineyard sits just above Costa Russi, separated only by the road that leads to Alba. This is an especially imposing vintage for Sori Tildin. Over time, the wine’s signature nuances and details begin to emerge. A radiant, sensual personality rounds things out nicely. This is a great showing from Gaja. The 2009 shuts down quickly in the glass, and is likely to demand a measure of patience from readers. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. Oct 2012, www.robertparker.com