The wine is quite exotic, wild, and vibrant. Full-bodied and juicy, with fine, layered, velvety tannins. The 2021 vintage boasts stunning intensity: dried flowers, spices, mushrooms, dried dark cherries, wild raspberries, and cranberries excite the nose.
In the Piedmontese dialect, Sorì means a hillside facing south, and San Lorenzo is the patron saint of the cathedral in the town of Alba. In 1964, the Gaja family purchased this vineyard from the church.
In the Sorì San Lorenzo site, the harvest is usually picked first due to the vineyard's southern exposure, where warm air currents prevail.
The wine is aged in oak barrels and large oak casks, and is unfiltered.
Serve at 16–18 °C with beef steaks, meat stews with wild mushrooms/truffles, grilled game sausages or long-aged cheeses.
A rather exotic and wild Sori San Lorenzo. Even flamboyant. Dried flowers and spices with bark, mushroom and dried dark cherry. Perfumed and primary with earth. Full-bodied and juicy with such fine velvety tannins that are layered and superb. So classic and soft on the palate with great length. Give this four to five years, but a classic in the making. Try after 2029.
Last to be tasted and the most powerful in this series of single-vineyard wines is the Gaja 2021 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo. This vintage delivers striking intensity that is focused and pure. Dark berry fruit is surrounded by spice, earth and licorice. The tannins are quite present in the San Lorenzo, especially in this vintage, and ideally this bottle should see many more years of bottle evolution. With so many decades of family history behind this site, San Lorenzo's excellence is an enduring symbol of the creativity and expertise of the Gaja legacy.
The Gaja family settled in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy in the mid-17th century. They have been producing wine in the Barbaresco area since 1859. Four generations of dedicated work and a noble pursuit of making top-quality wines have made the Gaja name synonymous with Italian winemaking excellence worldwide. Today, the fifth generation – Gaia, Giovanni, and Rossana Gaja – continues the family traditions, leading this legendary winery.
Currently, Gaja in Piedmont produces both classic expressions of the ‘Nebbiolo’ grape – Barbarescos and Barolos – and innovative “Langhe DOC” red and white wines from international grape varieties. The family also owns two estates in Tuscany: “Ca’Marcanda” in Bolgheri, famous for its “Super Tuscan” wines, and “Pieve S. Restituta” in the Montalcino area, producing “Brunello di Montalcino” wines. Additionally, a joint project with Alberto Graci in Sicily, at the foot of Mount Etna, testifies to the family’s constant pursuit of innovation and quality.
The Gaja family firmly believes that the true spirit and quality of wine are born in the vineyards themselves. Therefore, the greatest attention is paid to vineyard care: searching for climate change-resistant clones, limiting yields, growing other crops between vineyard rows to enrich the soil and help retain moisture and protect the harvest from heat. The highest quality standards are applied to all farms: grapes are grown only in family-owned vineyards, adhering to ecological and sustainability principles, with particular attention to soil quality and biodiversity.
Wine Style
Gaja wines are characterized by elegance, complexity, and perfectly reflect the terroir of their origin regions.
Prestigious Vineyards
The Gaja family owns prestigious vineyards in the Piedmont and Tuscany regions:
Aging and Consumption Period
Gaja wines are characterized by an excellent balance, allowing them to be enjoyed both young and mature. They have immense potential to age and develop over time, revealing new nuances of their character.
