Gaja's Sorì San Lorenzo, arguably the most iconic of all the wines, is superb. The 2013 is dark, virile and imposing, with a more classically leaning expression of power than in the recent past, not to mention tons of raw intensity. A host of graphite, savory herb, menthol, licorice, lavender, smoke and dark-fleshed fruits meld into the huge, tannic finish. There is a touch of French oak, but the personality of this site marries very naturally with the cooperage.

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.

Congratulations to the Gaja family and their 2013 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo. This is a sheer and powerful expression of Nebbiolo that boasts a very firm and precise textural quality. The wine is 100% Nebbiolo, as blended Barbera is no longer part of the Sorì San Lorenzo DNA. The tannins are sharply delineated with a crunchy snap that you feel on the palate. This should definitely serve to keep the wine firmly rooted and committed to a slow aging trajectory. That structural firmness is the defining characteristic of this wine, and that unique identity is even more evident now that this wine is officially classified as Barbaresco.

Bought in 1964 and declared as a single-vineyard 1967, Sorì San Lorenzo occupies the steeply sloping Secondine MGA. As with Sorì Tildìn and Costa Russi, between 1996 to 2012 it was labelled as a ‘mere’ Langhe Nebbiolo. Now back in the Barbaresco fold, this is the deepest, darkest and most brooding of the three. Yet while the nose is reticent, the palate is voluble. It exhibits the tar of Nebbiolo along with gunpowder tea, flinty stone and sweet oak spice. It's full and fleshy in blackcurrant fruit but still tightly wound up in those broad, sturdy yet sophisticated tannins.

Round and full of cherry, plum and mineral aromas and flavors matched to a dense, broad structure. Oak spice and tar elements enter the mix as this mouthwatering red winds down on the long, spicy aftertaste. Best from 2021 through 2038. 155 cases imported. BS

Mid ruby with the beginning of orange tinges. Deep cherry nose with an exotic spice edge. Rusty nail and orange-skin hints. Perfectly integrated oak, but really backward on the palate. Near perfect balance between fruit and acidity, but the tannic load needs to integrate further. I’d wait a couple of years for the dust to settle. (WS)