G.D. Vajra Barolo 'Albe' 2018
Regular price $113.00
Unit price per
- TASTING NOTE: 2018 as a Barolo vintage is approachable, fruit forward deliciousness that is strutting its stuff in all the right ways now. "Bright red fruit, good perfume, a bit of mint, almond and new leather. Medium-bodied, fresh, red cherry, tannin is good, a slight pippy and sappy character, though in a nice way, and a cool fresh finish of excellent length. Brightly lit. Lighter framed. So charming. Good to drink now, though it may very well surprise with bottle age." Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
- ABOUT THE WINE: Albe is a tribute to the masters of the 1950s and 60s, to those winemakers who had the vision and the taste to blend some of the most amazing crus in order to achieve a Barolo of balance and charm. The high-elevation vineyards for Barolo Albe have an exposure ranging from south-south-east to south-west. The grapes are usually picked in the second half of the Nebbiolo harvest. Vinification is done in custom-designed vertical vats, with gentle punch down and pump overs. Maceration lasts 25 days on average. Malolactic conversion occurs in stainless steel the following spring. Albe rests on average between 30 and 36 months in large (40, 50 and 75hL) Slavonian oak casks. The wine is usually racked once a year. Blending is decided in the spring prior to bottling.
- ABOUT THE PRODUCER: G.D. Vajra - “a world of sublime hand-crafted, artisan wines of the very highest level”, as Antonio Galloni calls it - is run in the second generation by Giuseppe, Isidoro and Francesca Vaira, lovingly overseen by father Aldo and mother Milena. It was Aldo that founded G.D. Vajra, kicking off with a counter-cultural twist by returning to his ancestors’ land in the early ‘70s, when all else were deserting the countryside in droves. That spirit of tradition with an adaptive streak characterises this far-sighted outfit. They were one of the pioneers of organic viticulture in Piedmont, and Aldo’s decision to embrace the rogue ‘j’ on the label – a print error that happens to hark back to the pre-1920s spelling of the family name – says a lot about the clan’s capacity to roll with it and nimbly fuse its roots with the future. Over the years they’ve acquired coveted holdings in their home commune of Barolo as well as Novello, Sinio and Serralunga - this latter home to the stupendous wines they produce under their Luigi Baudana label. The family excels with all the Piedmont staples – Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Moscato and the very rare Freisa, as well as Riesling that is far better than it has any right to be.
- COUNTRY: Italy
- REGION: Piedmont
- SUB-REGION: Barolo
- VARIETAL: Nebbiolo
- WINE STYLE: Red Wine
- WINEMAKER: Giuseppe Vaira
- CLASSIFICATION: Organic Farming
- CLOSURE: Cork
- ABV%: 14.5%
- SIZE: 750ml
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