Opened approx 8-9 hours before serving. Booming nose right out of the gate. Classic Nebbiolo notes (bright cherries, tar) and some oak but a touch coiled up on the palate. With more time in the glass this continued to get better and the palate really blossomed. I love the balance of silky/polished without going to modern/glossy that Gaja seems to do so well. This has more density and weight on the palate compared to the leaner Produttori. Certainly on the youthful side but this has entered its early drinking window and should continue to develop and drink well for several decades. Air won’t hurt this if drinking now.
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Just the slightest bricking on the oculus. Clear garnet on the balance. It’s barely opaque in the center of the Riedel Wine Wings stem. Black cherry, roses, slight bit of tar and even a hint of anise. What a nose - just want to keep sniffing- never mind drinking. But upon sipping, the soft tannins are still present. Acidity eventually kicks in bringing balance. Medium body at 14%. Long gorgeous finish. This still has miles of potential. 16 years old and 16 left. Did I mention the nose???
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Superb wine. Lucious cherry liquor, floral rose and violets, and mushroom funk. Big tannins but the fruit carries the wine. Lots of life in this. Sensational effort.
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Definitely seems like a wine to drink early or late, but not in the middle, and we must have hit the middle dead-center. Okay, so this is what "dumb phase" is? I did find a pleasing cedar + mushroom quality, and dry, background tannins, frankly - it was easy to drink but left me with a feeling of "where was it?"
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Tasted at a dinner, PNP--- very young and tight wine right now. Tried to leve in a separate glass for a while to get some air. At this point it's a little watery and hard to taste any fruit. Mostly just earthy and mineral right now.
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Gaja tasting w/Angelo Gaja (Seattle, WA): Nose of plum, blackberry, smoke, and toasty oak aromas. The palate was full of beautiful fruit. Big blackberry flavors with earthy/mineral laden nuances. Tannins were present, but this wine was still approachable right away, and not nearly as mouth drying as some of the other wines we tasted. This was an epiphany wine for me. I've not tasted a lot of Nebbiolo, let alone good Nebbiolo, but now I know how amazing the Nebbiolo grape can be. WOTN by far, and one of the best wines that I have ever tasted.
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9/23/2023 - godx wrote: 93 Points
Opened approx 8-9 hours before serving. Booming nose right out of the gate. Classic Nebbiolo notes (bright cherries, tar) and some oak but a touch coiled up on the palate. With more time in the glass this continued to get better and the palate really blossomed. I love the balance of silky/polished without going to modern/glossy that Gaja seems to do so well. This has more density and weight on the palate compared to the leaner Produttori. Certainly on the youthful side but this has entered its early drinking window and should continue to develop and drink well for several decades. Air won’t hurt this if drinking now.
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7/21/2021 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium nose intensity with notes of cassis, black fruits, oak, toast. Still youth and decanted for 2 hours. Medium+ acidity and tannin.
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4/29/2021 - NuTricks wrote: 97 Points
Just the slightest bricking on the oculus. Clear garnet on the balance. It’s barely opaque in the center of the Riedel Wine Wings stem. Black cherry, roses, slight bit of tar and even a hint of anise. What a nose - just want to keep sniffing- never mind drinking. But upon sipping, the soft tannins are still present. Acidity eventually kicks in bringing balance. Medium body at 14%. Long gorgeous finish. This still has miles of potential. 16 years old and 16 left. Did I mention the nose???
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1/8/2020 - Brian of Mull Likes this wine: 96 Points
Superb wine. Lucious cherry liquor, floral rose and violets, and mushroom funk. Big tannins but the fruit carries the wine. Lots of life in this. Sensational effort.
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8/10/2019 - Stave wrote:
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11/9/2017 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 91 Points
Gaja Sori Tilden White Truffle Dinner (Ai Fiori): Vibrant nose, bright red cherries, new oak quite evident. Dense. Boulder minerality. Lush but oaked fruit palate. Fleshy.
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2/15/2012 - Chef Jake wrote: 96 Points
Truly a well made wine. Beautiful nose, color, and fruit. I would buy a case if I could afford it!
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9/19/2011 - Old Doug wrote:
Definitely seems like a wine to drink early or late, but not in the middle, and we must have hit the middle dead-center. Okay, so this is what "dumb phase" is? I did find a pleasing cedar + mushroom quality, and dry, background tannins, frankly - it was easy to drink but left me with a feeling of "where was it?"
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9/18/2011 - J2K wrote:
Tasted at a dinner, PNP--- very young and tight wine right now. Tried to leve in a separate glass for a while to get some air. At this point it's a little watery and hard to taste any fruit. Mostly just earthy and mineral right now.
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9/10/2011 - dontime wrote:
Old Doug Event (Bado's Cucina): Just too early to drink. Some fruit, felt thin, earthy. Needs a lot of time.
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2/23/2010 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
Gaja Sorė Tildėn vertical 1970 to 2005 (Institute of Directors, London): Sweet ripe fruit, lots of expensive tasting oak, chewy tannins
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3/20/2009 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
An Evening with GAIA GAJA @ Por Fin (Por Fin, Coral Gables, Florida): Cru, that is bit early to appreciate. Should be great in time.
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6/11/2008 - last chance wrote: 98 Points
Gaja tasting w/Angelo Gaja (Seattle, WA): Nose of plum, blackberry, smoke, and toasty oak aromas. The palate was full of beautiful fruit. Big blackberry flavors with earthy/mineral laden nuances. Tannins were present, but this wine was still approachable right away, and not nearly as mouth drying as some of the other wines we tasted. This was an epiphany wine for me. I've not tasted a lot of Nebbiolo, let alone good Nebbiolo, but now I know how amazing the Nebbiolo grape can be. WOTN by far, and one of the best wines that I have ever tasted.
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