Saturday, October 14th
Join us for a deep dive into the iconic wines of Piedmont producer, G.D. Vajra, including an absolutely phenomenal Barolo premium pour!
Tasting 2pm-4pm
High-altitude vineyards. This is the road, arduous and beautiful, that lead us to wines where finesse and perfumes blend into one.
Piedmont Wine Tasting
Le Petit Bijou
Saturday, October 14th
2pm - 4pm, $20
With Special Guest, Allaina Lawrence of International Wines
NV G.D. Vajra Della Neva Metodo Classico Extra Brut Rosato, Piedmont, Italy $40.99
The G.D. Vajra winery was created in 1972 by Aldo and Milena Vaira, initially from vineyards planted by Aldo’s father in 1947. The winery was named for Aldo’s father, Giuseppe Domenico Vajra, because at the time Aldo was not old enough to establish the winery in his own name. Today the family has 40 hectares under vine in Barolo and other surrounding appellations. Their prized holdings in Bricco delle Viole were planted in 1949 by Aldo’s grandfather. Milena and Aldo’s three children – Giuseppe, Francesca, and Isidoro – are all involved in the family winery operation situated in the village of Vergne. The family is hard-working, passionate, and caring. Their focus is on building something for their children, caring about the community, and cementing the stories of the regions’ past. The family is longtime friends of Hart & Cru. They continue to uphold their passion for quality wine and the people who surround them.
The story behind the wine began with Thomas Jefferson when he was French ambassador and often traveled to Piedmont. During his visits, he drank Nebbiolo and proclaimed that it was as brisk as Champagne. The Vajra family later challenged this statement by making a wine with both Nebbiolo and the Champagne grape, Pinot Noir, as its blend. This bottle gets its name from the chapel that sits on the slopes of the vineyards: “Nostra Signora Della Neve” which means "Our Lady of the Snow" referring to the barren soil which still produces beautiful fruit from this site.
2022 G.D. Vajra Luigi Baudana "Dragon" Langhe Bianco, Piedmont, Italy $22.99
Varietal(s): 46% Chardonnay, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 24% Nascetta and 5% Riesling
The wine is luminous and bright with bright citrus, nectarine and passion fruit. This is a wholeheartedly open and pleasurable blended white that has the balanced acidity and the fun, aromatic character to pair with exotic dishes with lemongrass, basil or cilantro. The finish is lean and compact, and the wine ends with a taste of salty mineral.
2021 G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Italy $25.99
G.D. Vajra Nebbiolo Langhe displays a bright ruby red color. Perfumes are vibrant, with a floral bouquet of rose petals, violets and fresh berries, hints of dark fruit, lavender and mint. Elegant and complex on the palate with layers of crunchy red fruits, orange peel, sweet spices with earthy and mineral undertones.
2021 G.D Vajra Dolcetto D'alba, Piedmont, Italy $25.99
The 2021 Dolcetto d’Alba has a lively deep purple color. The nose opens with tones of wild berries, mulberry, hints of white pepper and sweet spices and fresh thyme. The palate is bursting with blue fruits and fresh plums, with a gentle tart touch that smoothen up beautifully with food. The finish is elegant with a lovely almond whiffle. A true food-friendly wine that enhances egg pastas, pizza, white and red meats and vegetable-based dishes.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "Made only in stainless steel, the 2021 Dolcetto d'Alba shows a purplish color with inky concentration. The bouquet is simple and direct with loads of sweet candied cherry, crème de cassis and bitter almond. This is another terrific take on one of Piedmont’s most versatile grapes."
2016 G.D. Vajra Barbera D'Alba, Piedmont, Italy $25.99
Winemaker Notes: The 2016 Barbera d’Alba has a lively purple color. The nose is fragrant, wide, displaying purple flowers, hibai prune, wet stone and a hint of sweet spices. The mouth is succulent, with prune, small berries and a whiffle of noble spices. This wine is beautifully vibrant and balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Critical Acclaim WS92 Wine Spectator. This is round and juicy, its cherry and blackberry fruit melding seamlessly with the bracing acidity. Flashes of iron and hot stone add depth as this stretches out, ending on a peppery accent. Drink now through 2023
2019 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bicco Delle Viole, Piedmont, Italy $113.99
Bricco delle Viole is the paradigm of our climate. The vineyard has been shaped with a gentle swing to the south, visible from a radius of several kilometers, and on certain autumn days it seems to emerge like a promontory out of a sea of fog.
100% Nebbiolo
Winemaker Notes: Ruby red with garnet reflections. On the nose, 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is beautifully layered: violet flowers, marasca cherries, candies and wet stones all grace this effusive and evocative Barolo. The palate reveals the signature verticality of Bricco delle Viole combined with an incredible complexity, and expands with velvety tannins and a profound finish.
Critical Acclaim
JD97Jeb Dunnuck- Jeweled in appearance, the 2019 Barolo Bricco Delle Viole may be the best wine I have tried yet from Vajra. Its gorgeous and alluring perfume of fresh roses is followed by a Burgundian, elegant red with incredible length and no harsh edges, fine and present tannins, and beautiful, graceful concentration. It is drinking well now, and I will be trying to get my hands on as much of this as possible. Drink 2025-2045.Rating:97+
RP97 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 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. Rating: 97+
V97 Vinous: 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.
WS96Wine Spectator- A juicy Barolo, with vibrant acidity and a fluid profile that exudes cherry, raspberry, mown hay, mineral and eucalyptus aromas and flavors. Tight yet long, with excellent potential.