VAJRA BAROLO BRICCO VIOLE DOCG 2020
VAJRA BAROLO BRICCO VIOLE DOCG 2020
2020 Barolo 'Bricco delle Viole' 96VM
G.D. Vajra
Barolo, Piemonte
96 pts Vinous
The 2020 Barolo Bricco delle Viole, Vajra's flagship, is very fine. Dark cherry, kirsch, blood orange, spice and lavender are nicely amplified. The 2020 is gracious and elegant, but its youthful Nebbiolo tannins will require some time to soften. The 2020 is another wine that captures my keen interests with its sublime balance. I would be thrilled to own it. - By Antonio Galloni on November 2023
95 pts Wine Advocate
The G.D. Vajra 2020 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is a very pretty wine with brightness and delicate aromas that remain etched and defined. You get dried violet or lilac, tart cherry, cranberry, lavender essence, rosemary and other perfumed Mediterranean nuances. Bricco delle Viole finishes dry, and the tannins are on the powdery side, giving the wine medium weight and a lean mid-palate.
Bricco delle Viole Cru
Its name, “Hill of Violets”, originates by the flowers that here blossom early due to the perfect south exposure. Up above the fogs, Bricco delle Viole enjoys the earliest sunrise and the last sunset every day. Thanks to its vines dating back to 1949, a dramatic diuturnal temperature range and this pure light, Bricco delle Viole generates a sophisticated and profound Barolo of bright aromatics, chiselled tannins and subtle minerality.
Bricco delle Viole is one of the last vineyards to be picked, usually around mid of October. Grapes are sorted manually three times: directly on the vine, as whole clusters on the sorting tables, and lastly as single berries after destemming. Vinification is traditional, and is carried in customdesigned vertical tini, with gentle punch down and rinsing of the cap, followed by an extensive period of maceration under submerged cap (cappello sommerso). Malolactic in stainless steel, the following spring. Bricco delle Viole is aged in large Slavonian casks, mostly 25 and 50 hectoliters. Aging varies between 30 and 42 months and was of almost 32 months in 2016. Raking is an individual choice, cask by cask. 2016 was bottled on July 30th 2019
There’s plenty to like in these new releases from the Vajra family. Starting with the 2020 Barolos, the wines are gracious and finely sketched, with the personality of each wine clearly defined. The Bricco delle Viole is especially sublime and well worth seeking out. As always, the Barolos offer a compelling mix of classicism and contemporary finesse. The entry-level offerings are a bit mixed this year, largely a reflection of the challenging 2022 harvest. Readers will find several new wines made from nearly extinct varieties that show plenty of intrigue and that are sure to enrich this range going forward.
- By Antonio Galloni on November 2023
