Every year for Christmas my boss always gives me wine from her private cellar. This year she gave me a bottle of 1998 Sori Tildin, I was blown away! I’ve tasted the basic barbaresco a couple times in the past through wine events at work and bottles from co workers. My question, is has anybody tasted the 1998 or any of the 98’ Gaja’s recently. I was thinking on opening it for my birthday in May or should I continue to cellar it?
No, but 1998 Piedmont reds drink beautifully these days, so I would certainly be inclined to open one for your birthday. On the other hand, there’s no rush either.
How nice to see a Gaja note on WB. I can’t even remember the last time I saw one.
I was at a very strange tasting about a year ago and was pouring in the high roller room. The event was well attended until everyone bailed out of that room to go taste other stuff. The woman pouring next to me was pouring 2006 Gaja Sori Tildin. They had pre-opened a bunch of bottles, she was just a rep for the local distributor so she was MORE than happy to pour me and my girlfriend as much as we wanted. We probably drank 1.5 bottles of it just killing time. Powerful but amazingly elegant. Drank great but will last for years and years.
Hmmmm, think I’m leaning towards popping that baby on my birthday. I’m getting married in April & honeymooning in May. My birthday follows pretty close when we get back so it seems right. Maybe some grilled steaks and mushroom risotto made with morels would be killer
MMMMMMMM Morels. 4 Months away from Morel hunting season. Rest well my beauties
Sounds like a cool boss! Is she hiring? 
I have fond memories of the 1985 Sori Tilin with Steak Florentine in Viareggio with a good friend in 1993. 98 is a similar vintage to 85. Your combo should work well.
Agree. Did a couple back in August.
1998 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (8/10/2013)
Dark rich fruit, spice, and earth. The palate is silken, rich, and full. Lacking a bit of acid. Very approachable and very different in style from the Giacosa. Very very good. Unlike the Giacosa, I think this is at it’s peak.
1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco (8/10/2013)
Wow what a nose. Reminds me of the soaring nose of the 2007 Dujac Exhezeaux from a few nights ago. High toned bright cherry fruit, macerated strawberries, light spice, and floral elegance. Palate has delicious sweet fruit, hint of orange zest, and refreshing acididity that was lacking in the 98 Gaja Sperss. Profound length and finish. Stunning and with room to improve.
John, I like your style. Do it ! Decant it a while. It won’t fall apart and it will be a memorable time.
please post notes. I’ve got all the '98 Gajas and am really curious.
Drink it now! Once you are married, you will have to share it 50/50.
Just kidding of course, share with your wife to be.
OMG there is another John Z … How can the world stand it…
Go for it… Why not, the wine will be stellar… Nice boss !!!
Ken (and others), for the good of the order, and realizing that, at some point, Gaja’s top wines became prohibitively expensive for many (not so much the Sperss, which I can recall buying at $79 for the 1996 and $135 for the 1997, versus $200 and $250 for the 1996/1997 San Lorenzo), what is your bottom line on Gaja’s single-vineyard wines? I have drunk, sold or traded most of the modernist-school Nebbiolo in my cellar (there was no so much to begin with), save a little Sandrone Cannubi and decent quantities of older Gaja Sperss, San Lorenzo and Sori Tildin. Despite some of them drinking relatively well young, and despite all of the grief that he got about reserving the right to add Barbera to his crus, I still find that his wines have little in common with those of Clerico, Altare, Voerzio (God knows Voerzio!) and others in the modernist camp. I recall Bill Boykin posting a strong positive experience with an older Sperss, perhaps the 1996, but Gaja simply does not get much airplay. I have consistently found the San Lorenzo to be one of the two or three longest aging Nebbiolos of all. Gaja’s is, of course, an address that is also undergoing generational change, and we are perhaps witnessing a “tale of two cities” with the very different transitions at the houses of Giacosa and Gaja. Gaja may well become more broadly relevant again, given that both Giacosa’s wines (until recently) and Monfortino went shooting right past Gaja’s pace-setting pricing some years ago.
Bill,
Other than the normale, I don’t know if I have ever had one of his Barbaresco, or whatever they are now, that has achieved any level of tertiary development, and the oak usually shows through a bit. I drink an occasional normale; an 88 a couple of months ago was lovely. I am also of fan of the 89 & 90 Sperss where a bit of oak has shown, but it was not terribly intrusive. However, I haven’t has any of his younger wines.
Ken, didn’t we have some Gajas at Nomad about a year ago? I remember very pure fruit but a bit of oak
Yes. 1989 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo, 1989 Gaja Barolo Sperss, and 1990 Gaja Barolo Sperss:
http://www.finewinegeek.com/tn/2013-03-08_NK_Barolo1989_NoMad/
I still have a bottle of 1985 Sori Tildin laying around (properly stored since I bought it on release). Anyone have any thoughts about what I might expect from it at this point? Hopefully it’s not a bottle of bones.
Tom and Ken, I find little oak showing in the 1996 and 1997 Sperss (possibly just completely submerged in the fruit, along with the tannins at this point), and no oak at all in any of the Barbaresco single-vineyards older than 1989, with precious little for my taste in the 1989s and 1990s, both of which I need to try again this year. Oak was not an issue in the 1997 Sori Tildin, either, but I have not had it for several years. (It was lovely when I did.) i have been burned too many times to even think of drinking San Lorenzos from 1990 on, although it seems that some vintages of that wine should drink well enough on the young side. I have just never had one…
I drink verrry little Gaja.
Especially in the last 10 years…but,the 96 and 97 Sperss are IMO,very good wines with accents on the delights and refinement to be found in dark cherries,almost specific to only Gaja,and as a long standing member of the OSA club,oak does not present itself as an impediment to my enjoyment of these 2 vastly different yet desirable Nebbioli…
Drinking the 97 side by side with the 97 Bartolo is a thrilling experience…
We had a “Traditional vs. Modern” dinner at Antonio’s a few years ago. I think it was skewed a little by focusing on the 1990 vintage (where even traditional wines taste modern), but the Sperss was my 3rd favorite wine. It had a lot of depth. I think it can stand up to oak a little better than the “Barbarescos”.
Yes,and as I remember,even Joe G,another card carrying member of the OSA club, remarked that it was a …well made wine.