Barbaresco
Barbaresco, seen as the more elegant counterpart of Barolo, spreads over 763 ha under vines (a third of Barolo’s ha), and is divided into four communes.
The Nebbiolo grape is said to ripen earlier here because of the gentler altitude – up to 450 metres – and the proximity to the Tanaro river. The legal guidelines for ageing reflect this, requiring only 26 months minimum of ageing for Barbaresco compared to 38 months for Barolo. Along with altitude, soil variations are another reason for their flavour differences: Barolo and Barbaresco are both limestone-based soils, but Barbaresco's soil is comparatively younger. Stylistically, Barbaresco is often described as a more elegant version of Barolo but, like its neighbour, its wines can come in a diverse spectrum of styles and are never without energy and power.
Barbaresco
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Piedmont | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£883.70 |
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Wine Advocate (98)A banner wine for Gaja, the 2010 Sori San Lorenzo brings the infinite and ethereal aromas associated with Nebbiolo into startling focus and clarity. Again, like the Sori Tildin, the structure and tannic firmness of the wine will carry the wine forward over the years and decades ahead. It demands much more time until it fully blossoms. I walked through the San Lorenzo vineyard with Gaia Gaja and she showed me some of their recent activity. Every second row is planted with barley that acts as a natural rototiller given its aggressive root system. Borrowing other “New World” ideas, they’ve started compost piles with Californian red worms and are using (with less success, I’m told) wooden tree boxes to repopulate the birds. All of this must seem very odd to the neighbors. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 100 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£3,337.55 |
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James Suckling (100)Majestic aromas of crushed berries, meat and orange peel. Full body, lots of powerful yet ripe tannins and exquisite fruit. Amazing depth and density. They said they macerated a little more than normal because the fruit was perfect. A classic nebbiolo that reminds me of the great 1996. About 30% less production. Don’t touch for five to 10 years. A celebratory wine for Gaja’s return to the Barbaresco appellation. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,700.22 |
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James Suckling (97)The aromas are mesmerizing with sandalwood, cedar, roses and dried strawberries. Full-bodied, tight and chewy with lots of pretty fruit and ultra-fine yet powerful tannins. Goes on for minutes. This needs three to five years of bottle age. Try in 2023. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£2,438.72 |
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James Suckling (97)The aromas are mesmerizing with sandalwood, cedar, roses and dried strawberries. Full-bodied, tight and chewy with lots of pretty fruit and ultra-fine yet powerful tannins. Goes on for minutes. This needs three to five years of bottle age. Try in 2023. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 98+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£2,313.95 |
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Vinous (98+)The 2016 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is an eternal wine that will need 10-15 years in bottle to truly come around. Sorì San Lorenzo is often a big, virile wine. There is plenty of heft to the 2016, but at the same time, I also find an element of refinement and nuance that Sorì San Lorenzo has rarely, if ever, shown. Black cherry, cloves, menthol, licorice, gravel and incense are some of the many aromas and flavor that meld together in this dramatic and dramatically beautiful Barbaresco from the Gaja family. The Sorì San Lorenzo just explodes on the finish, with an array of aromas, flavors and textures that will leave readers weak at the knees. The 2016 is an outrageously beautiful, vivid wine of real gravitas and power. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,530.78 |
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James Suckling (99)The aromas of fresh rose petals are amazing with strawberries and citrus underneath. Full-bodied and layered with a complete, very linear and long finish. It turns tight and very serious at the end. Please give this at least five years to show it’s potential. Better after 2025. |
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Piedmont | 2 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,861.55 |
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James Suckling (99)The aromas of fresh rose petals are amazing with strawberries and citrus underneath. Full-bodied and layered with a complete, very linear and long finish. It turns tight and very serious at the end. Please give this at least five years to show it’s potential. Better after 2025. |
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Piedmont | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£674.93 |
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Piedmont | 1 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£2,388.35 |
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Vinous (96)The 2000 Sorì Tildìn is like cashmere on the palate. Sweet red berries, flowers, mint and spices flow effortlessly from this beautifully detailed, nuanced wine. The Sorì Tildìn shows attractive freshness and gorgeous balance from start to finish. It is easily one of the finer wines of the vintage. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 94+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£2,500.78 |
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Vinous (94+)Good full, deep red. Sexy aromas of minerals, truffle and ineffable rose petal. Suave and lush, showing a surprisingly open-knit texture that partly masks the wine's serious underpinning of fine tannins. Very long and aromatic on the aftertaste. |
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Piedmont | 5 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£2,756.38 |
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Vinous (96)The 2008 Sori Tildin is impressive. I confess I wasn't quite prepared for the assault of fruit and tannins here. Sori Tildin is so often a graceful, elegant wine, but that is not the case in 2008. That's not to say elegance is missing, but this is a big, big wine with tons of intensity and richness, all woven together beautifully. It's tough to find a comparison with a previous vintage, as this is a pretty singular Tildin. The flavors are familiar if a touch on the dark side, but the structure is closer than that of Sori San Lorenzo. Flowers, tar, leather and licorice wrap around the palate. This is a fabulous showing and a great wine in the making. |
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Piedmont | 5 | 96 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£2,612.34 |
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Vinous (96)The 2009 Sorì 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 Sorì 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. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,964.03 |
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James Suckling (99)Aromas of asphalt and tar that turn to dried strawberries, plums and citrus fruit. Full body, yet agile and very refined with a beautiful balance of fruit, tannins and acidity. Extremely persistent and focused finish. All about harmony and strength. Drink in 2022. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 100 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£3,440.75 |
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Vinous (100)The 2016 Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn is a fabulous, incredibly complete wine that soars out of the glass with explosive structure and vertical lift. The tannins are very much present, but also matched beautifully by the wine's aromatic intensity and overall drive. Dark macerated cherry, spice, leather, licorice, plum and mocha add darker shades of nuance. In 2016, Sorì Tildìn is a bit more brooding and bigger than it often is, and yet all the elements are impeccably balanced. It is quite simply a majestic wine of real grandeur and total class, but it is not obvious. Sorì Tildìn will appeal most to readers who understand what the truest essence of Nebbiolo is all about. In a word: magnificent! |
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Piedmont | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£581.32 |
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James Suckling (98)Extremely perfumed with strawberries, flowers, cherries and hints of ash and tar. Medium to full-bodied with tightness and raciness to the tannins. Polished, too. Very, very persistent. Try after 2022. |
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Piedmont | 1 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£1,746.35 |
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James Suckling (98)Extremely perfumed with strawberries, flowers, cherries and hints of ash and tar. Medium to full-bodied with tightness and raciness to the tannins. Polished, too. Very, very persistent. Try after 2022. |
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Piedmont | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£616.13 |
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Piedmont | 1 | 98 (JD) |
Inc. VAT
£3,146.23 |
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Jeb Dunnuck (98)A spiced profile emerges from the 2021 Barbaresco Sori Tildin, which has a bright red color and offers notes of ripe black cherries, graphite, wet stones, and darker minerals. There’s more power and backbone in this wine, as well as more depth and structure. It’s remarkably focused, with ripe tannins, fantastic purity and balance, and ripe mineral undercurrents. These 2021s are some of the best wines I’ve ever tasted from Gaja, and this one has great potential for the long haul. |
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Piedmont | 2 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£546.79 |
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Vinous (94)“The 2010 Barbaresco Riserva Vanotu 60th Anniversary Limited Edition is drinking beautifully. Silky and perfumed, the 2010 is now entering its first plateau of maturity. Sweet tobacco, dried flowers, menthol and coffee lend striking aromatic complexity as the 2010 opens in the glass. The 2010 is rich and layered, as all of Giorgio Pelissero's wines are, but time has mellowed some of that exuberance.” |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£730.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (98)A banner wine for Gaja, the 2010 Sori San Lorenzo brings the infinite and ethereal aromas associated with Nebbiolo into startling focus and clarity. Again, like the Sori Tildin, the structure and tannic firmness of the wine will carry the wine forward over the years and decades ahead. It demands much more time until it fully blossoms. I walked through the San Lorenzo vineyard with Gaia Gaja and she showed me some of their recent activity. Every second row is planted with barley that acts as a natural rototiller given its aggressive root system. Borrowing other “New World” ideas, they’ve started compost piles with Californian red worms and are using (with less success, I’m told) wooden tree boxes to repopulate the birds. All of this must seem very odd to the neighbors. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040. |
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|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 100 (JS) |
In Bond
£2,762.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (100)Majestic aromas of crushed berries, meat and orange peel. Full body, lots of powerful yet ripe tannins and exquisite fruit. Amazing depth and density. They said they macerated a little more than normal because the fruit was perfect. A classic nebbiolo that reminds me of the great 1996. About 30% less production. Don’t touch for five to 10 years. A celebratory wine for Gaja’s return to the Barbaresco appellation. |
|||||||||
|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,404.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (97)The aromas are mesmerizing with sandalwood, cedar, roses and dried strawberries. Full-bodied, tight and chewy with lots of pretty fruit and ultra-fine yet powerful tannins. Goes on for minutes. This needs three to five years of bottle age. Try in 2023. |
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|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£2,013.00 |
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James Suckling (97)The aromas are mesmerizing with sandalwood, cedar, roses and dried strawberries. Full-bodied, tight and chewy with lots of pretty fruit and ultra-fine yet powerful tannins. Goes on for minutes. This needs three to five years of bottle age. Try in 2023. |
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|
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Piedmont | 1 | 98+ (VN) |
In Bond
£1,909.00 |
|||||
Vinous (98+)The 2016 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is an eternal wine that will need 10-15 years in bottle to truly come around. Sorì San Lorenzo is often a big, virile wine. There is plenty of heft to the 2016, but at the same time, I also find an element of refinement and nuance that Sorì San Lorenzo has rarely, if ever, shown. Black cherry, cloves, menthol, licorice, gravel and incense are some of the many aromas and flavor that meld together in this dramatic and dramatically beautiful Barbaresco from the Gaja family. The Sorì San Lorenzo just explodes on the finish, with an array of aromas, flavors and textures that will leave readers weak at the knees. The 2016 is an outrageously beautiful, vivid wine of real gravitas and power. |
|||||||||
|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,266.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)The aromas of fresh rose petals are amazing with strawberries and citrus underneath. Full-bodied and layered with a complete, very linear and long finish. It turns tight and very serious at the end. Please give this at least five years to show it’s potential. Better after 2025. |
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|
|
Piedmont | 2 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,532.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)The aromas of fresh rose petals are amazing with strawberries and citrus underneath. Full-bodied and layered with a complete, very linear and long finish. It turns tight and very serious at the end. Please give this at least five years to show it’s potential. Better after 2025. |
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|
|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
In Bond
£559.00 |
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|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 96 (VN) |
In Bond
£1,971.00 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2000 Sorì Tildìn is like cashmere on the palate. Sweet red berries, flowers, mint and spices flow effortlessly from this beautifully detailed, nuanced wine. The Sorì Tildìn shows attractive freshness and gorgeous balance from start to finish. It is easily one of the finer wines of the vintage. |
|||||||||
|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 94+ (VN) |
In Bond
£2,064.00 |
|||||
Vinous (94+)Good full, deep red. Sexy aromas of minerals, truffle and ineffable rose petal. Suave and lush, showing a surprisingly open-knit texture that partly masks the wine's serious underpinning of fine tannins. Very long and aromatic on the aftertaste. |
|||||||||
|
|
Piedmont | 5 | 96 (VN) |
In Bond
£2,277.00 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2008 Sori Tildin is impressive. I confess I wasn't quite prepared for the assault of fruit and tannins here. Sori Tildin is so often a graceful, elegant wine, but that is not the case in 2008. That's not to say elegance is missing, but this is a big, big wine with tons of intensity and richness, all woven together beautifully. It's tough to find a comparison with a previous vintage, as this is a pretty singular Tildin. The flavors are familiar if a touch on the dark side, but the structure is closer than that of Sori San Lorenzo. Flowers, tar, leather and licorice wrap around the palate. This is a fabulous showing and a great wine in the making. |
|||||||||
|
|
Piedmont | 5 | 96 (VN) |
In Bond
£2,159.00 |
|||||
Vinous (96)The 2009 Sorì 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 Sorì 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. |
|||||||||
|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 99 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,626.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (99)Aromas of asphalt and tar that turn to dried strawberries, plums and citrus fruit. Full body, yet agile and very refined with a beautiful balance of fruit, tannins and acidity. Extremely persistent and focused finish. All about harmony and strength. Drink in 2022. |
|||||||||
|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 100 (VN) |
In Bond
£2,848.00 |
|||||
Vinous (100)The 2016 Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn is a fabulous, incredibly complete wine that soars out of the glass with explosive structure and vertical lift. The tannins are very much present, but also matched beautifully by the wine's aromatic intensity and overall drive. Dark macerated cherry, spice, leather, licorice, plum and mocha add darker shades of nuance. In 2016, Sorì Tildìn is a bit more brooding and bigger than it often is, and yet all the elements are impeccably balanced. It is quite simply a majestic wine of real grandeur and total class, but it is not obvious. Sorì Tildìn will appeal most to readers who understand what the truest essence of Nebbiolo is all about. In a word: magnificent! |
|||||||||
|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£478.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)Extremely perfumed with strawberries, flowers, cherries and hints of ash and tar. Medium to full-bodied with tightness and raciness to the tannins. Polished, too. Very, very persistent. Try after 2022. |
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|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£1,436.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (98)Extremely perfumed with strawberries, flowers, cherries and hints of ash and tar. Medium to full-bodied with tightness and raciness to the tannins. Polished, too. Very, very persistent. Try after 2022. |
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|
|
Piedmont | 1 | - |
In Bond
£510.00 |
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|
|
Piedmont | 1 | 98 (JD) |
In Bond
£2,609.00 |
|||||
Jeb Dunnuck (98)A spiced profile emerges from the 2021 Barbaresco Sori Tildin, which has a bright red color and offers notes of ripe black cherries, graphite, wet stones, and darker minerals. There’s more power and backbone in this wine, as well as more depth and structure. It’s remarkably focused, with ripe tannins, fantastic purity and balance, and ripe mineral undercurrents. These 2021s are some of the best wines I’ve ever tasted from Gaja, and this one has great potential for the long haul. |
|||||||||
|
|
Piedmont | 2 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
£449.00 |
|||||
Vinous (94)“The 2010 Barbaresco Riserva Vanotu 60th Anniversary Limited Edition is drinking beautifully. Silky and perfumed, the 2010 is now entering its first plateau of maturity. Sweet tobacco, dried flowers, menthol and coffee lend striking aromatic complexity as the 2010 opens in the glass. The 2010 is rich and layered, as all of Giorgio Pelissero's wines are, but time has mellowed some of that exuberance.” |
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