An exciting lineup from G.D. Vajra

By Eric Guido

We all have our favorites and those favorites tend to change with time. For the longest time I would count myself among those that followed anything made by Vietti and to this day, I buy a number of their wines each year. However, recently, I have found a deep love for the wines of G.D. Vajra.

It all started at a tasting two years ago, where I was lucky enough to taste through the entire lineup. What stood out the most was the outstanding quality of the affordable Nebbiolo, the stunning and sexy tones of the Barbera and the purity of their single vineyard Barolo. Then the 2007 vintage of Barolo hit and the Vajra Bricco Delle Viole ended up as my top Baroli of the vintage. When I started to look back upon my tasting notes and scores, it became apparent that Vajra was a producer that I would have to follow.

So what makes Bricco delle Viole such an amazing wine? For one thing, in this world of an ever-expanding topic of global warming, Bricco delle Viole remains one of the highest elevation vineyards for all of Barolo. So as the average 2007 Baroli might have seemed over-ripe and concentrated, Vajra’s Barolo was in perfect balance. On a larger scale, when I think of the older wines I love and what they may have tasted like in their youth, Vajra is the closest to what I would guess these wines tasted like in their youth.

In the end, it’s just one man’s opinion, yet I full-heartedly believe that G.D. Vajra may be one of the top producers to watch in all of Piedmonte. I know their wines will fill my cellar.

On to the Tasting Notes:

2010 G.D. Vajra Langhe Bianco - The nose was clean, coming more to life as the wine warmed in the glass, showing nectarine, spicy floral notes, minerals, and almond skins. On the palate, it was crisp with ripe, yet focused peach and inner floral tones. A note of grapefruit and green apple lingered through the finish. (89 points) Find it on: Wine-Searcher!

This being my first experience with a Riesling from Piedmont, I will say that I was very impressed. It may not be a blockbuster but it certainly showed a lot of potential. The style was more Alsace than Germany and great with a plate of mixed Wurst and Sauerkraut.

2011 G.D. Vajra Dolcetto d'Alba - The nose was earthy and floral with dark, mixed berry notes, hints of mountain herbs and chalky minerals. On the palate it was light to medium bodied with juicy acidity as notes of blackberry, with an herbal quality framed silky tannins that lasted through the long finish. (90 points) Find it on: Wine-Searcher!

I really enjoyed this value oriented wine with tons of character. When it was first opened, at cellar temp, it was easy drinking and great with dinner. However, as it rose to room temperature, this easy drinking beauty gained weight and lots of dark Dolcetto character. Plus, with it's firm structure making an appearance on the palate, I have to wonder what this wine may become with another year in the cellar.

2009 G.D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba Superiore - The nose was intense and sexy with black cherry, woodland notes, dark chocolate, floral tones and a hint of vanilla. On the palate, it was rich yet perfectly juicy, showing notes of blackberry jam, sweet spices, tart cherry juice and cola with hint of tannin clinging to senses. The finish was long with concentrate ripe berry fruit coating the palate, along with well polished tannin that seemed to linger for over thirty seconds. (93 points) Find it on: Wine-Searcher!

This may be a full-throtle, in your face Barbera but it stays juicy throughout with such beautiful fruit and structure that I just wanted to pour glass after glass.

2010 G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo - The nose showed intense raspberry, red floral tones, tar, animal musk, undergrowth and dark chocolate. On the palate it was medium-bodied with concentrated, tart cherry fruit, tobacco and leather. The finish was long with dry, red berries and grainy tannin that coated the palate. This is a little painfully to drink now but should be marvelous in a few years time. (92 points) Find it on: Wine-Searcher!

I have to note, that after three days of being open, this wine continued to show amazing fruit and purity with no signs of deterioration. It's a beautiful Nebbiolo that will find a place in my cellar.

2008 G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe - The nose showed ripe cherry, floral and tobacco notes with hints of herbs and cedar. On the palate, it was youthful yet still enjoyable with red berry fruits, licorice, and dark savory tones on a medium body showing excellent balance. The finish lingered for over a minute as ripe berry fruit slowly melted away from the palate to reveal a layer of fine tannin. (93 points) Find it on: Wine-Searcher!

The Slow Wine Perspective

The news that Slow Food was separating from Gambero Rosso had been a question mark in the minds of many Gambero Rosso readers--until now. With the release of Slow Wine and the Slow Wine tasting event and press conference in NYC, we now have all the answers.

Essentially, Slow Food and Gambero Rosso went their separate ways over their differing set of principals. As editors Giancarlo Gariglio and Fabio Giavedoni put it, “Gambero Rosso focuses on the good, where Slow Wine looks to the good, clean and fair”. The good being the quality of the wine, the clean being the practices in the vineyard and the fair being the quality of the wine versus the cost of the bottle. It’s certainly an interesting approach and caters to the current concerns over sustainable practices and current economic situations around the world.

The question is, does Slow Wine really do the job that’s intended? The easy answer would be yes, especially since there are a large number of wines that are virtual newcomers in the American market, and their prices reflect it. However, what would have been a welcome addition would be a cost meter for different wines. Imagine the average green-loving and price conscience consumer trying to search out a bottle of 2004 Giacomo Conterno Monfortino; I doubt they would think its $450 price tag would be very fair. Of course, this is an extreme case but an excellent example. What Slow Wine does give you is the coin symbol, which represents a value-oriented bottle. This is joined by the “Snail” symbol for wineries that exhibit Slow Food values and the “bottle” symbol for “excellent average quality.”

So what separates Slow Wine from every other wine publication? Firstly, the format is very enjoyable, with a balanced mix of information about the growers, the land and the wine. However, what truly balled the audience over was the announcement that this book would contain no scores. The announcement was met with a nearly audible gasp from the crowd. Of course, it’s human nature to want to quantify everything. In the end, it’s better to look at Slow Wine as a guide to wine, not a guide to buying wine. With Slow Wine, I found myself actually reading for hours straight, something that I don’t do with the other publications.

In the end, it’s an excellent book that really brings to light some of the best grower/winemakers in Italy. It reads smoothly and is full of information about the regions, the land, the history and the people. It’s a welcome addition to any wine lover’s library.

The Slow Food, Slow Wine Website!

What about the wines?

The people at Slow Food also put together an excellent tasting with a large number of producers from the Slow Wine guide. Below are five of my top picks from the tasting… and out of respect for the folks that created Slow Wine, I decided not to include any scores.

2007 G. D. Vajra Barolo Bricco Delle Viole – It was a joy to taste the G.D. Vajra Bricco delle Viole. The nose showed an elegant, yet intense floral perfume with spiced cherries and floral stems. On the palate, it was feminine and balanced with cherries, strawberry and menthol, which provided an airy lift with a juicy mid-palate. It finished showing a fine tannic structure. This was one of the best ’07 Baroli I have tasted to date. (Slow Wine awarded this bottle their orange highlight, representing a ”Great Wine.” I wholeheartedly agree.) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2008 Corzano e Paterno Chianti I TreBorri Riserva – The nose was hallmark Tuscan with wild berries, tree bark and earth. On the palate, I found soft strawberry tones, with herbal tea and cedar. The finish was long and structured. The TreRorri Riserva was extremely enjoyable and one of my favorites of the vintage. (Corzano e Paterno was awarded the “Snail” symbol by Slow Wine, representing a winery that they “particularly like for the way it interprets Slow Food values.”)

2008 Fattoria di Felsina Chianti Classico Rancia Riserva – The ’08 Rancia was unexpectedly open at this young age. The nose showed red berries, cocoa powder and deep floral notes. On the palate, it was open and juicy with red berry fruits. The finish showed more of structure I was expecting. This is a fine example of Rancia that (in this year’s case) is more open in its youth than the Fontalloro. (Fattoria di Felsina was awarded the “Snail” symbol by Slow Wine, representing a winery that they “particularly like for the way it interprets Slow Food values.”) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2007 Prá Amarone Della Valpolicella – The nose was gorgeous with plum, raisin, minerals and undergrowth. On the palate, it was remarkably balanced and fresh yet still showed a tamed level of richness as notes of ripe black cherry and soil lingered into the long finish. (Pra was awarded the “Snail” symbol by Slow Wine, representing a winery that they “particularly like for the way it interprets Slow Food values.”)

2010 Velenosi Lacrima Di Morro D’Alba – The nose showed like a basket of fresh picked flowers with pepper, minerals and a healthy dose of earthiness. On the palate, it tasted like it smelled and had a gorgeous note of rose hips in its floral profile. It was a truly enjoyable bottle of wine for those who know and enjoy Lacrima. (Velenosi was awarded the “Bottle” symbol by Slow Wine, representing a winery “whose bottles represent excellent average quality.”) Find it on Wine-Searcher!