Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo 2023

Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo

The wine is bright ruby red with intense notes of violet and rose, accompanied by the freshness of ripe red berry fruits on the nose. This is an elegant Nebbiolo with herbaceous notes and perfumes of roses and red berries complemented by silky tannins and delicate acidity.

These grapes come from young Nebbiolo vines in Vajra's own vineyards in the communes of Barolo and Novello. The vines are four to seven years old and will produce Barolo DOCG in several vintages time. This Nebbiolo is also enriched by grapes from the wonderful Roccabella vineyard in the commune of Sinio, planted on steep south-facing terraces.

The preceding winter was heavy with snowfall followed by a mild spring, but a very hot summer. As a result, the growing season and ripening of the grapes was earlier than in other years. The vintage was characterised by strong hailstorms very early on that significantly reduced yields. Despite the storms, all this led to one of the best vintages of recent years.

Fermentation lasted 15-18 days, at temperatures no higher than 29-30ºC with indigenous yeast strains and traditional daily punch downs. Malolactic fermentation followed and the wine was then aged for six months largely in stainless steel tanks, with a small portion in neutral wood, before bottling.

Aldo Vaira's wines are characterised by pristine flavours and clearly defined perfumes. These characters are attributable to the position of his vineyards at about 400 metres above sea level in the village of Vergne in the commune of Barolo. G.D. Vajra was established in 1972 and named after Aldo's father, Giuseppe Domenico Vajra. Aldo has been gradually increasing the area under vine to 60 hectares, of which 10 are Nebbiolo for Barolo, located in such strategic spots as Bricco delle Viole, Fossati, La Volta and Coste di Vergne. A traditionalist, Aldo adheres to old-style winemaking methods, though blends these with new techniques, such as temperature-controlled fermentation, to produce such superbly elegant wines.

Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo- Hay Wines