2021 G.D. Vajra, Barolo DOCG “Ravera” Piemonte, Italy.
As I’ve said since the 2012 releases, Giuseppe Vaira’s work with these these Barolo vineyards, Bricco delle Viole and Ravera is something truly magical, and today I feel the same, after tasting his 2021s. These are thrilling wines and true expressions of place, and in particular I loved this Ravera again, with its classic presence in the glass, showing off power, precision and exceptional length. The full bodied and of course youthfully charged palate is beautifully defined with black cherry, damson plum, briar laced and tangy huckleberry and red currant fruits, along with hints of tarry licorice, cut roses, grilled herbs, smoky meat, cedar and truffle. There’s a lot going on here, but this dark ruby/garnet wine keeps its graceful focus and there’s subtle mineral tones and a lift from the acidity that really carries the day and allows for total enjoyment, even in this very early stage, though 10 years ahead, we are looking at something much more special. Giuseppe Vaira, as he himself explains Ravera this way “I am intrigued by Ravera’s indomitable personality. It is crisp like the sound of a Telecaster, straight and electric.” Going on, he points out that Ravera is the most important single vineyard in Comune di Novello and it’s on a very complex soils, including marls of Tortonian origin mix with sandstones and clays of the Serravallian period, that contributes to the depth and serious nature of this wine. Vajra’s parcels at Revera are located in the most southern amphitheater, getting good exposure and even ripening and up at between 320 and 340 meters to get a cooling influence that allows for the amazing balance you find in the wines. It was great to again taste the Vajra collection at Slow Wine 2026, and I am really hoping to get to Piemonte sooner versus later to visit Vajra, one of my favorite producers in the Langhe!
The always texturally sensual Ravera is a powerful cru Barolo, but the ripe tannin is silken, a hallmark of this exceptional wine past and present, as I’ve noted here before. Layers seamlessly guide by with accents of dried roses, distilled violet, lavender oil, tar, salted black licorice, stony mineral, cedar all playing supporting roles to a core palate of black cherry, damson plum, balsamic strawberry and tangy currant fruits. Everything is a heightened thrill and exciting with a burst of natural acidity providing a lift and the length here is extraordinary, even by Vajra’s standards this is next level stuff and it never takes the foot of the gas. The vinification was carried in Vajra’s custom-designed vertical tini, with gentle punch downs and pump-overs during the maceration and primary fermentation of the carefully hand sorted berries. This lengthy start goes for close to 60 days, including a submerged cap, for complete extraction. After which, the winery notes, spontaneous malolactic fermentation took place in Spring and the wine was racked to large Slavonian casks of 25 and 50hL sizes where it matured for two years before bottling. Again, it is also important to remember, in 1971, Aldo Vajra, Giuseppe’s dad, then still a university student, was one of the earliest to adopt organic farming in Piemonte, something the Vajra’s are proudly continuing, with all of their vines being sustainable and organic certified now, and they pay as much respect to historical traditions as they do to nature, which shows in their wines. The Vajra lineup includes stars throughout and I highly recommend all of these brilliant wines, from the Dolcetto to Barolo, and obviously, if you’ve read my reviews, you don’t want to miss their Riesling! This Ravera Barolo has tons of potential, I wouldn’t be surprised if my rating seems too low in 5 to 7 years!
($90 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive