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50 Years of Gaja's Sori Tildin
Sorì Tildìn was the first Italian wine to be sold en Primeur!
Fifty years ago, the first vintage of a truly special wine emerged from our cellars. Sorì Tildìn, a wine we are particularly fond of, is named after Angelo's grandmother, Clotilde Rey, also known as “Tilde”. And Tilde certainly knew how to sow the values that still inspire us today.
The vineyard was purchased in 1967, six years after the passing of Clotilde, from Marchesa Gherzi Paruzza, wife of the brilliant automobile designer Dante Giacosa who created the Fiat “Topolino” in 1936 and, after the second world war, the Fiat 500, or “la Cinquecento”.
The vineyard is in the shape of an amphitheater lying on top of a hill three kilometers from the town of Barbaresco, offering an extensive view over a spacious valley. One of the highest vineyards near the town Barbaresco, it reaches an elevation of 290 meters and enjoys full western exposure and a partial exposure to the south-west, assuring the vineyard a warmer and drier microclimate compared to others in the area.
It was after the third harvest, in 1970, when we decided that those grapes deserved to be granted life as a single vineyard and the first vintage of Sorì Tildìn was thus born. A half century later it has kept its promise in producing a character of equilibrium and gentleness. Two characteristics are distinguishable right from the start and are already noticeable in the first four or five years after its release: perfect balance and drinkability.
Sorì Tildìn’s distinctiveness is the result of proper exposure and light, its proximity to the Tanaro river (ensuring nocturnal humidity which is very useful for the maturation of Nebbiolo’s phenols), and good soil composition with abundant draining sands and magnesium, clearly visible in the form of small bronze-colored grains, which gives flavor and minerality to the wine.
Vine density is also notably above average, around 6000 plants per hectare. All of this points towards concentration, maturity, fullness and density, the distinctive features of this wine. Tasting Sorì Tildìn offers ripe fruits, fleshy and earthy notes, hints of scrub vegetation and a vague notes of saline flavors in the mouth.
During the first twelve years of Sorì Tildìn, the harvest was conducted much later than usual. This was because Angelo, after a discussion with the famous wine and food critic, philosopher Luigi Veronelli, accepted a challenge. Veronelli maintained that in the past, wines were made with grapes harvested in late November and that today’s producers had a tendency to anticipate harvesting times and no longer had the courage to wait for the grapes to fully ripen.
So, for this single vineyard, Angelo decided to wait until mid-November to harvest. It took courage since it meant risking adverse weather that could arrive at any moment and jeopardize losing the harvest, but he wanted to demonstrate that he was patient and respectful of time. He managed to do it in the years 1970, ‘71, ‘74, ‘78, and ‘82. But he eventually had to stop. The vineyard is next to a road, where in October, passersby would see the grapes still hanging on the leafless vines and stop to pick and help themselves. Angelo attempted to dissuade the people by placing signs asking please not to take the grapes, stating that the grapes were not forgotten and that they were still to be harvested, but it was to no avail.
Sorì Tildìn was the first Italian wine to be sold en Primeur, meaning that the person who purchased a certain number bottles after the harvest was entitled to customized labels. Our archives show a list of thirty people from Milan, Rome, Turin, Bologna and even New York, who purchased quotas during the first three years
Wine Description
The Story
The Sorì Tildìn vineyard is named after the beloved matriarch of the GAJA family, Clotilde Rey, daughter-in-law of founder Giovanni Gaja. Known for her strong personality, the adored Clotilde was affectionately known by the nickname Tildìn (teel-DEEN), a diminutive of her Christian name.
Like the Sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì Tildìn is widely considered one of the greatest growing sites in Italy today. Purchased in 1967, the 8-acre vineyard is situated in the township of Barbaresco. It was first vinified as a single-vineyard wine in 1970 (reclassified as a Langhe DOC in 2000 like the Sorì San Lorenzo). Sorì Tildìn delivers a round, subtly textured expression of Nebbiolo, and will age superbly for more than 40 years in exceptional vintages.
Wine Information
THE ELEVEN YEARS IN WHICH NO VINTAGE WAS PRODUCED:
1969, 1972, 1980, 1984, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2002, 2012, 2018, 2019
OUR FAVORITE VINTAGES:
1970 A compact and crisp wine, with still many primary notes and a long life ahead. A notably expressive wine, with a fleshy body and great harmony.
1978 For at least the first 15 years it was decidedly restrained and austere. It has continued to age slowly and today it shows great firmness and tension with a vibrant energy and sweet, fruity and enveloping notes.
1982 This was a very late harvest for us, in which we waited until November for the grapes to fully ripen. Consequently the wine demonstrates an important depth and complexity, with great richness of aroma and substance.
198 9One of the most classic vintages ever, in which Sorì Tildìn stands out for its grace, its refinement of tannins, and for offering touches of sweet spices, white truffle and fragrant forest floor.
1990 A vintage of generosity and opulence, in which Sorì Tildìn stands out for its aromatic power and intensity. Hints of dark fruit and fragrant forest floor are accompanied by an enveloping and full structure.
1997 For us, this vintage marks the beginning of a new era characterized by a greater frequency of warm weather vintages, and here Sorì Tildìn has an unprecedented density and sweetness. The wine is evolving very well; it is gratifying and well balanced thanks to its complex aromas and appropriate freshness.
2004 In this classic vintage, we like the elegance and purity of Sorì Tildìn, its intense notes of wet earth and flowers, accompanied by light smoky hints. The structure of the wine is lighter and more transparent than the previous vintages, with a savory and mineral finish.
2007 A year of low production but in which Sorì Tildìn gave us great satisfaction. The wine has exceptional precision and shows full structure. On the palate it is voluminous, persistent in its long finish with sweet, rich, concentrated and spicy notes.
2016 The nose is complex and deep, with intriguing aromas of essential oils and sweet fruits. On the palate it offers a wide spectrum of different flavors, much fresher and tense than the opulence it shows on the nose.
2020 Lively and fragrant with aromas ranging from violet to raspberry to orange. Balanced and fruity, with a graceful structure and sweet, juicy and enveloping tannins.
