Elements of eucalyptus and juniper grace the cherry and raspberry fruit in this intense, complex red. Mineral and spice accents chime in as this builds to a long aftertaste. The texture is supple and there's plenty of energy on the resonant finish, where a chalky feel adds to the overall appeal. Best from 2026 through 2045. 125 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barbaresco Select to Add

This tightly wound red is dense with black cherry, black currant, plum, tar and iron flavors as well as tannins. Shows a lot of power and persistence, with all the components in the right proportion, ending with a long, resonant aftertaste. Needs time. Best from 2024 through 2048. 300 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barbaresco Select to Add

The 2017 growing season saw a couple of violent hail events in the Barbaresco appellation, and this celebrated vineyard suffered some damage during a storm that hit on July 19th. Yields were reduced, but the wine holds its own thanks to the careful fruit selection process put in place by the Gaja family. Their 2017 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is a shade richer in terms of flavor concentration, as is always the case with fruit from this slightly warmer growing site. However, like the other two single-vineyard Barbaresco expressions, this wine reveals a thin, sharp and nervous personality that is driven in large part by tannic firmness and acidity. Sorì San Lorenzo adds lots of dark mineral definition to cassis, wild cherry, rose and Provence herbs. Like the other wines, it needs extra cellar aging time.

Features sweet ripe cherry, plum, eucalyptus, tobacco and spice flavors. The texture is tightly woven and refined, while vibrant acidity drives the long finish. Shows wonderful harmony and the potential for aging. Best from 2023 through 2045. 175 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Italy / Piedmont / Barbaresco Select to Add

If the Barbaresco Costa Russi expresses itself with purity and grace, the 2016 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo struts out stacked and tall. It has firmer textural support and is not as timid or as withholding as the Costa Russi. The Sorì San Lorenzo site is located closest to the warm air currents that travel down the Tanaro River valley, and this vineyard site is always the first to ripen and be harvested. You get a stronger mineral note here with iron rust, pencil shaving and potting soil intertwined with the primary fruit, showing dazzlingly intricate complexity and depth. This vineyard site suffered in the 2017 vintage from some hail damage that hit on July 19. The quality of fruit is expected to be good, Gaia Gaja tells me, but yields will be reduced next year.