1999 Angelo Gaja Sori Tildin RP--95 WS--94

Wine Spectator: 94 Points
Score: 94 Release Price: $340 Current Auction Price: $189 Country: Italy Region: Piedmont Issue: Nov 30, 2003 Designation: Collectibles Starts off a bit earthy but then turns to glorious, freshly cut flowers, with hints of crushed berries. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very refined. A special style for Sorì Tildìn. Best after 2008. 1,050 cases made. –JS

Robert Parker: 95 Points
In the Cellar # G7 May 2006 Antonio Galloni 95 Drink: 2011 - 2029 $200-$450 1999 Langhe Sori Tildin—The 1999 Sori Tildin is a knockout wine. It offers a classic, expressive nose of flowers and spices and somewhat austere profile of sweet red fruit, minerals and menthol on a mid-weight frame. It is the hardest of these wines to read today, but I found myself coming back to it often and discovering new nuances with each taste. It is clearly a wine of much potential and should start to drink well in another few years and last until age 25-30. It will be a fascinating wine to follow. 95/drink after 2011, 03/06 As always, the house style is very much present in the wines. Beginning in 1996 the Langhe wines contain a small amount of Barbera (between 5-8%) which Gaja says is added to give the wines additional acidity. Vinification remains fairly traditional by today’s standards. Fermentation and maceration last about three weeks. For the Barbaresco the fermentation takes place at a temperature of roughly 82?F (28?C). Gaja uses a slightly different approach for his ‘crus’ Sori San Lorenzo, Sori Tildin, Costa Russi, Conteisa, and Sperss, for which the temperature during fermentation is lowered to 64?F (18?C) after the first week. All of the wines undergo malolactic fermentation in barrique. The wines then age one year in barrique and a second year in cask. For his Darmagi Gaja employs a shorter fermentation lasting 10-15 days. The wine sees 6-8 months in barrique followed by one year in large oak casks.