G.D Vajra – Barolo Albe 75cl

Winery: G.D. Vajra

Grape Variety:Nebbiolo

Region: Piedmont, Italy

Alcohol Content:14.5%

Food Pairing: Beef, Pasta, Lamb, Game

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 Aldos 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.

A tribute to local tradition, the 2014 Barolo Albe represents an assembly of fruit from various vineyard plots throughout the area. Winemaking is classic in approach with a 25-day maceration period and aging in large Slavonian oak casks. This vintage shows silky, fine lines and a more accessible approach for near and medium-term drinking. I would recommend a few more years of bottle aging, however, to allow the wine the time to grow in texture and mouthfeel.[91 Points, Monica Larner June 2018, robertparker.com]