Gaja Sori San Lorenzo 1997 Langhe - Piemonte

Very dark ruby. Aromas of rose bush, black pepper and sliced plum. Full-bodied, with super-well-integrated tannins. They are big and rich, yet refined and polished. This still needs time to mellow. But what a wine. It keeps on changing in the glass, with loads of vanilla bean, fruit and herbs and then goes floral. Still needs time.--1997 Italian blind retrospective. Best after 2010. 800 cases made.

Profound, the 1997 Sori San Lorenzo is an elegant, nuanced, and complex Gaja offering. It exhibits a striking perfume of lead pencil, roasted nuts, black fruits, spice box, leather, cedar, and Chinese black tea. Forward yet enormously constituted and rich, with an ethereal elegance underpinning its personality, the Sori Lorenzo displays a classic combination of power and finesse. Sadly, there are only 10,000 bottles. As this wine sat in the glass, notes of Japanese soy sauce made an appearance. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2030.