Description
The GD Vajra estate is found in Vergne, the highest village of Barolo in north-west Italy, where the vineyards sit at an altitude of up to 400 metres. The estate is named after Giuseppe Domenico Vajra, who founded the estate in 1972. 10 of the 40 hectares are planted with nebbiolo for Aldo’s Barolo, located in such prized vineyards as Bricco delle Viole, Fossati, La Volta and Coste di Vergne. Here the soil is rich in calcareous marl, with rocky outcrops, giving fragrant and particularly long-lived wines.
Tasting Notes
The G.D. Vajra 2017 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is packed with medium dark cherry fruit and plum. The wine also shows a savory side, with spice, hazelnut cream, licorice and lightly fragrant potting soil. This vintage sits solid on the palate, wrapping thickly over the senses, thanks to its creamy, fruit-driven consistency and well-managed tannins. These vines are high in elevation, ranging from 400 to 480 meters in altitude. Those higher elevations are key to interpreting a vintage that saw heat such as this. Production is 15,000 bottles. [95Points, Monica Larner – June 2021, robertparker.com]
