Wine Advisor
G.D. Vajra, Barolo Bricco delle Viole 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
From the Bricco delle Viole cru, or the vineyard most strongly associated with this historic estate, this is a versatile or "evergreen" wine that always delivers consistent results. The G.D. Vajra 2016 Barolo Bricco delle Viole sees fruit from a seven-hectare vineyard with high exposures positioned at 400 to 480 meters above sea level. This site shows characteristic Tortonian-era soils classified as Sant'Agata marl with fossils. These soils have an enormous capacity to regulate the ripening process, resulting in the longer growing seasons relished by the Nebbiolo grape. In a word, the profile here is classic. You get delicate fruit tones and wild rose with camphor ash, licorice and tar. The wine is beautifully harmonious and ethereal. Some 15,000 bottles are hitting the market now.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2016 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is going to need a few years to emerge, but it has all the qualities to develop into a truly special wine. Dark red/purplish fruit, hard candy, mint, lavender and sweet spice give the 2016 striking inner perfume. On the palate, the 2016 is a tightly wound, classically austere Barolo that will especially delight readers with traditionally leaning palates. In this late-ripening vintage, there is a great balance of structure, aromatics and mid-palate sweetness. I absolutely loved it.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
The nose is packed with blue flowers, such as violets, iodine and blueberries. Very charming, seductive aromas here. The palate has such plush, long and expansive style. Elegant and smooth, it delivers an expansive bloom of fragrance and flavor at the finish. Effortless and layered. This is a star of the vintage. Drink now and for two decades.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2016 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is going to need a few years to emerge, but it has all the qualities to develop into a truly special wine. Dark red/purplish fruit, hard candy, mint, lavender and sweet spice give the 2016 striking inner perfume. On the palate, the 2016 is a tightly wound, classically austere Barolo that will especially delight readers with traditionally leaning palates. In this late-ripening vintage, there is a great balance of structure, aromatics and mid-palate sweetness. I absolutely loved it.
About the Producer
GD Vajra was born out of a revolutionary spirit. In 1968, 15-year-old Aldo Vaira was evicted to his estate in Barolo after becoming involved in political protests. Aldo's youthful energy soon turned to agriculture, and within a few years he had taken over the family estate. GD Vajra exemplified this revolutionary spirit when it became the first winery in the Barolo region to adopt organic farming in 1971. In addition, they were the first to plant Riesling in 1985. Vajra is the champion of some of Piedmont's less popular native grape varieties, including Dolcetto, Barbera and Freisa. They also make three single-vineyard Barolo wines, including the incredible Bricco delle Viole vineyard, which at 1,500 feet is one of the highest in the commune of Barolo. Today Aldo, his wife Milena and his children Giuseppe, Francesca and Isidoro still run the estate on organic principles. The soils here are sedimentary and most of the vineyards are in what I like to call the Tortonian valley which is actually the valley between the Bricco delle Viole area and the Barolo area at the foot of the hill and then another part of the area The side valley is Castiglione Falletto.
