Sori Tildin, Gaja 1997

There's harmony and grandeur to this red, with loads of fresh raspberry, plus violet, lilac and mint. Full-bodied, with velvety, rich tannins and a long finish. Refined and very well-done. Best after 2005. 800 cases made.

The awesome 1997 Sori Tilden (10,000 bottles produced) is a candidate for perfection. The saturated purple color is followed by a dense, full-bodied wine possessing extraordinary vibrancy for such a heavyweight, muscular Nebbiolo. It offers a super-sweet entry, a boatload of glycerin, and notes of earth, licorice, cedar, blackberry and cherry liqueur, and a touch of blueberries. Extremely full, gorgeously pure, with a seamless texture, this spectacular 1997 will enjoy three decades of cellaring. A genius for sure, Angelo Gaja can not be faulted for what he puts in the bottle. This work of art is worth every cent it will fetch.

The 1997 Barbaresco Sori Tilden may flirt with perfection given its unreal level of richness, gorgeous symmetry, and finish that lasts for nearly a minute. It boasts explosive richness symbolized by the essence of black cherry/berry fruit intermixed with earth, licorice, spice box, and subtle new oak. An extraordinary, mammouth, unctuous wine with no hard edges, it somehow manages to be neither heavy nor overbearing. Admittedly, Gaja's 1997s are shaped more by their vintage conditions than by their terroir or cépage characteristics, but these subtle nuances will emerge with cellaring.