G.D. Vajra's Ravera plot lie in a relatively sheltered, lower slope below Cogno's Cascina Nuova, characterized by calcareous clay soils (marls). The area receives cool breezes from the mountains, moderating the warmth and shifting harvests a little later. Along with a fairly traditional mindset for winemaking, this makes Vajra's Ravera Barolo a bit fleshier than Bricco del Viole, e.g., but maintaining the balancing act of aromatic freshness and elegant structure.
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "The organic G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Ravera (with fruit from the most sought-after cru in the village of Novello) reveals gorgeous tonality and color. The wine shines bright with dark ruby and garnet gemstone. Healthy Nebbiolo colors like this can be admired across the 2019 vintage. Ravera represents a union of different geologies from Barolo and Castiglione Falletto. The site has shown extraordinary versatility, especially in the face of climate change, to make wines of both strength and elegance. It is softly textured but also strong in fiber, with silky sensations followed by dark fruit and concentration. Ravera has a character all its own, and the operative word here is power."
VINOUS, ANTONIO GALLONI 96 POINTS - "The 2019 Barolo Ravera is redolent of red fruit, mint, chalk, white pepper and orange peel. A Barolo of tension and energy, the 2019 is intensely bright and saline to the core. I would not dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. This is an especially taut style, even for Vajra."
WINE SPECTATOR 96 POINTS - "There’s plenty of latent fruit in this this graceful and complex red, in the form of cherry, raspberry and plum, along with notes of flowers, tar, mineral and underbrush. Rich, balanced and long, this has well-integrated tannins that mingle with the ripe fruit flavors. Best from 2027 through 2046. 830 cases made."
In the hands of great winemakers, the wines have been imbued with particularly intense, well-defined aromas, as well as fine balance and harmony in the flavors and mouthfeel thanks to fine, ripe tannin and a vibrant, uplifting acidity. But we want to highlight the 2019 Barolos from the Vajra (VAEE-rah) family, coming from both the G.D. Vajra and Luigi Baudana labels. With a house style that walks the line between elegance and power, the entire range offers high quality across the board, and are a must-have for your collection.
The Vajra wineries are family-run labors of love. The original G.D. Vajra winery was founded by Aldo Vajra, with his first release coinciding with the troublesome 1972 vintage. Instead of cutting his losses by abandoning the grapes on the vines, he made the best wine he could and never stopped. Remaining obstinate in his vision of what great Barolo should be, he refused to succumb to the increasing popularity of aging in French oak, especially with new barrels, which he felt would detract from the elegant and pure expression of the Nebbiolo grape. He was well-aware of the modern improvements in the wine cellars, though, and through the years earned a reputation for being "the most modern of the traditionalists and the most traditional of the modernists."
Aldo and his wife, Milena, along with their three children have continued to improve and grow from that humble first wine. It's a testament to the character of this family that the small but well-respected winemakers, Luigi and Fiorina Baudana, felt comfortable letting the Vajras take over their estate in 2009, and with it their legacy (no small thing in a region that takes such things so seriously). In keeping with the old ways, the Vajras farm organically, make use of long fermentations during which the skins and juice gently mingle, and age the wines in large Slavonian oak barrels that impart only subtle wood notes.
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "The organic G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Ravera (with fruit from the most sought-after cru in the village of Novello) reveals gorgeous tonality and color. The wine shines bright with dark ruby and garnet gemstone. Healthy Nebbiolo colors like this can be admired across the 2019 vintage. Ravera represents a union of different geologies from Barolo and Castiglione Falletto. The site has shown extraordinary versatility, especially in the face of climate change, to make wines of both strength and elegance. It is softly textured but also strong in fiber, with silky sensations followed by dark fruit and concentration. Ravera has a character all its own, and the operative word here is power."
VINOUS, ANTONIO GALLONI 96 POINTS - "The 2019 Barolo Ravera is redolent of red fruit, mint, chalk, white pepper and orange peel. A Barolo of tension and energy, the 2019 is intensely bright and saline to the core. I would not dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. This is an especially taut style, even for Vajra."
WINE SPECTATOR 96 POINTS - "There’s plenty of latent fruit in this this graceful and complex red, in the form of cherry, raspberry and plum, along with notes of flowers, tar, mineral and underbrush. Rich, balanced and long, this has well-integrated tannins that mingle with the ripe fruit flavors. Best from 2027 through 2046. 830 cases made."
In the hands of great winemakers, the wines have been imbued with particularly intense, well-defined aromas, as well as fine balance and harmony in the flavors and mouthfeel thanks to fine, ripe tannin and a vibrant, uplifting acidity. But we want to highlight the 2019 Barolos from the Vajra (VAEE-rah) family, coming from both the G.D. Vajra and Luigi Baudana labels. With a house style that walks the line between elegance and power, the entire range offers high quality across the board, and are a must-have for your collection.
The Vajra wineries are family-run labors of love. The original G.D. Vajra winery was founded by Aldo Vajra, with his first release coinciding with the troublesome 1972 vintage. Instead of cutting his losses by abandoning the grapes on the vines, he made the best wine he could and never stopped. Remaining obstinate in his vision of what great Barolo should be, he refused to succumb to the increasing popularity of aging in French oak, especially with new barrels, which he felt would detract from the elegant and pure expression of the Nebbiolo grape. He was well-aware of the modern improvements in the wine cellars, though, and through the years earned a reputation for being "the most modern of the traditionalists and the most traditional of the modernists."
Aldo and his wife, Milena, along with their three children have continued to improve and grow from that humble first wine. It's a testament to the character of this family that the small but well-respected winemakers, Luigi and Fiorina Baudana, felt comfortable letting the Vajras take over their estate in 2009, and with it their legacy (no small thing in a region that takes such things so seriously). In keeping with the old ways, the Vajras farm organically, make use of long fermentations during which the skins and juice gently mingle, and age the wines in large Slavonian oak barrels that impart only subtle wood notes.
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