Wine Advisor
G.D. Vajra, Barolo Bricco delle Viole 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole offers a beguiling combination of depth and energy. Dark and potent in the glass, yet also quite reticent, the 2019 is going to take a number of years to come around. Black cherry, graphite, crushed rocks, mint, sage and incense all open in the glass, but only with quite a bit of reticence. I especially like the way the 2019 opens up on its resonant, expansive finish, but it remains a decidedly brooding Barolo whose best days are far off in the future.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The last wine poured at my tasting at the winery is the G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole. With its high vantage point in the hills west of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is a world apart in terms of soils (with Sant'Agata marl and fossils) and even harvest times. Slow and careful ripening like the kind that characterizes fruit in 2019 renders a very delicate and ethereal expression with floral tones, wild mint and licorice. This organic wine is solid in build and structure. Indeed, Isidoro Vaira remarks that Nebbiolo tannins have changed since the 1970s and 1980s. Because of climate change and stylistic preference, they are more polished and accessible today.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Aromas of crushed stone, flowers and berries follow through to a medium to full body with firm and velvety tannins and a juicy finish. Very primary now and needs time to develop in the bottle. From organically grown grapes. Try after 2026.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole offers a beguiling combination of depth and energy. Dark and potent in the glass, yet also quite reticent, the 2019 is going to take a number of years to come around. Black cherry, graphite, crushed rocks, mint, sage and incense all open in the glass, but only with quite a bit of reticence. I especially like the way the 2019 opens up on its resonant, expansive finish, but it remains a decidedly brooding Barolo whose best days are far off in the future.
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.
