2008 G.D. Vajra, Barolo “Albe” DOCG, Piedmonte, Italy.
I had the great pleasure to meet Giuseppe Vaira of G.D. Vajra and taste through his lineup of wines, all of which are stunning and remarkable from the Langhe Riesling to the single vineyard Barolo, these artisan wines are wines to search out, especially this amazing 2008 Barolo “Albe” that is a steal and can be drunk now or aged another 10 years. Last year G.D. Vajra gained worldwide attention for garnering the highest Parker (Wine Advocate) score ever for the little known Freisa grape (95) and has received a constant stream of critical praise for the wineries other wines ever since, so it was a great chance to see for myself how the whole line compared to what I have tasted before, and while last year I was blown away with Vajra’s 2006 wines, this time I think I was even more impressed! This producer should be on your radar, as these are without question some of the finest Piedmonte wines out there. The 2008 G.D. Vajra, Barolo “Albe” DOCG is beautiful and stylish Nebbiolo with pure class and elegance that few in this vintage can be, it shows dried flowers, rose oil, lavender, tea spices, tarry earth and mineral clarity with a palate of black cherry, plum and mixed berry fruit, while truffle, licorice and mountain sweet herbs, saline and umami all add to the mix. Refined firm tannins, acidity and silky finish highlight the near perfect balance and verve of this fantastic effort, this is as good as it gets for Nebbiolo, and this is their entry level Barolo! Their magical Bricco Delle Viole is even better, but costs a lots more.
($45 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

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