Gaja - Barbaresco Sori San Lorenzo 2016

While the Barbaresco Costa Russi expresses itself with purity and grace, the 2016 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo struts with volume and grandeur. It has a textured, firm body and is not as shy or reserved as the Costa Russi. The Sorì San Lorenzo plot is located closest to the warm air currents flowing down the Tanaro River valley, and this vineyard is always the first to ripen and be harvested. You get a stronger mineral note here, with hints of rust, freshly sharpened pencil, and earth intertwined with the primary fruit, revealing an incredibly complex depth. This vineyard suffered some hail damage during the 2017 vintage, which struck on July 19. The quality of the fruit should be good, Gaia Gaja tells me, but yields will be lower next year.

Glorious aromas of ripe strawberries, cherries, and orange peel, with floral and mineral notes and a hint of incense. Full-bodied, dense, and powerful, with fantastic depth of fruit and ripe tannins. It lingers for quite a while. One of the most structured Sori San Lorenzos in a long time.