Decanted for 2.5 hours, medium red hue like a Pinot, red cherries, powerful bold aromas, the palate is rich & very refined, caressing tannins envelope your mouth, v good young Barolo
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Remarkable depth of fruit for a young Barolo with super fine tannins. It was great to check in on this wine and it showed extraordinarily well, but it will of course only improve with time. For me the Bricco delle Viole was probably the single greatest value in the 16 vintage.
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Popped the cork about 5 hrs early for a little decant. Graphite prevalent but nice fruit. Thats about it. Nice, but I dont expect I will return to this wine.
Pop and pour. 14.5% Expressive on the nose, but not as beautiful when I tried it on release. In fact, I found the VA distracting on the nose without so much of the fruit or rose I found in youth. A little spicy on the finish. I'm a little surprised this is now a $150 wine per CT auction data, but I guess its cheaper than Burgundy! Maybe Vajra isn't my jam? Will try 08 BdV next.
Decanted for 30 minutes before enjoying over an hour at L’artusi. Same as my previous notes. This is outstanding. Aromas filled the entire room and the palate went on for days. Finish goes on and on. I can’t wait to see how this develops over the next few decades. 96-97+
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Pnp over 2 hours at 2 Amy's Pizzeria. This is still going strong! Wish we gave it a short decant before enjoying. This kept getting better and better as the night went on. The last sip was the best. Still one of the best Barolos from the '16 vintage IMO.
By the glass. Open the first bottle of the tasting to allow it to breathe the longer the better. Aromas of cherries and red berries with spices sprinkled, nutmeg type. On the palate it is tasty from the beginning, enough acid support and a final tannic. Definitely one of the best Vajra I have taken place to taste. Maybe because it’s atypical.
Por copas. Botella abierta la primera para permitir que respirase cuanto más rato mejor. Aromas a cerezas y bayas rojas con especias espolvoreadas tipo nuez moscada. Al paladar es sabrosa desde el inicio, suficiente soporte ácido y un tánico final. Sin duda uno de los mejores Vajra que he tenido lugar de catar. Quizás por atípica.
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Massively stern on the palate off the cork opening. I forget where this cru is. Certainly not serralunga! But the aromatics are there. To lay down, but its open so we shall see where it goes!
Hadn't planned to open my first this soon given the vintage but reliable recent CT notes made me glad I did. I've been buying & drinking Bric delle Violle regularly since '04. Most vintages have enough polish to open well before a Giacosa or Bartolo Mascarello release. Assuming you give it enough air. Opened 4-1/2 hrs prior to dinner. A quick sniff & sip were promising so I simply slow-oxed in Reidel Burgs & btl the rest of the way. While still needing yrs to showcase its tertiary rewards this is surely a pleasure now celebrating its stellar; balance, freshness & top-notch fruit in '16. Enticing roses & underbrush on the nose. Delicious dark raspberry, licorice, mint, earth & underbrush. 14.5% alc went unnoticed.
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This wine was a showstopper for me. I adore all of the ‘16s, but this one was lush, tobacco, tar, mushroom. It felt like I could taste the earth on which the grapes were grown. A beautiful wine to have with a steak or a nice cheese selection. It almost tastes like a Bordeaux to me, but maybe because it is so smooth. I did not taste any of the tight tannins I would expect with a young Barolo. I will be curious to see how this ages. I decanted for 3 hours the first day but I don’t even think it needs such a long decant. Maybe an hour is enough. Second day I drank it from the bottle and kept going back for more. As someone else has noted, this bottle won’t last until day 3.
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Drank over two days...because it was too delicious to hold for a third.
In an overstated vintage, which features intoxicating, all-things-raspberry, crunchy red fruits and berries, rhubarb, exotic citrus, acerola, and 'sweet' herb-driven bouquets, yet, in many instances, on the palate, high-pitched, lean, astringent, biting elements, this, along with Vietti's Castiglione offering, stand out among offerings that retail for under $100.
This wine delivers! The equal parts red and purple fruited perfume, also offers violets, rose oil, mint, wintergreen, rosemary, hibiscus tea, spring potpourri, citrus preserves, berry liqueurs, red and purple root vegetables, and pipe tobacco, backed by tremendous earth and mineral depth and wafting petrol.
The evocative attack rivets the senses, turns spectacularly expansive at the middle, gracing, then bracing, then gracing again, with tremendous precision, lift, and elegance. Beware the powdery and gritty tannins that kick in at the back, and linger through a sophisticated flavorful finish of striking length and inflection-changing range.
Only non-tanninphobes should drink this over the next several years, after a long decant, 8 to 10 hours will do it no harm. Otherwise, hold for at least a decade. Likely to evolve through 2045+ and hold for a long while thereafter.
Difficult to find such QPR at under $100, from any region, the world over. 97-98.
2016 Vajra (and Baudana) Barolo tasting (Wellington, NZ): Among the historical vineyards of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is the highest and the closest to the Alps at between 400 to 480 meters above sea level, on the Western ridge of the village. Its vines date back to 1949 and due to early sunrise and late sunset and what Vajra calls the “perfect southern exposure” enjoys a dramatic diurnal temperature range.
The most expressive and perfumed of the 2016s. Lovely aromatics. Blackberries, some crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, spices, cloves and gentle rose florals and a whisp of violets. On palate, very black fruited and precise with a touch of mint. Sleek and elegant. Bright, focused acidity. Serious structure and mid palate weight. Powerful and tightly coiled with iron ore at its core. The tannins even more fine-grained than with the Ravera but more closed, with even more tannic grip. Powerful, persistent acidity. At present, severe and strict. This wine will need even longer to unfurl, perhaps drinking from 2028+. Great expectations here. Classic, traditionally made Barolo. Wine of the tasting. 95+.
Drank over two days. Day one pop and pour. Let breath only the glass, and consumed the first glass over about an hour and a half. The nose was initially very fresh. Mint and cherries with just a hint of leather and tobacco. Very tannic, yet had a creaminess to the mouthfeel. Incredible. Day two, slightly less intriguing. The freshness of the nose gave way to a bit more alcohol and a cheesiness that wasn’t there before. There is an austerity on the palate that wasn’t present in day one.
1 or 3 bottles I have, so I am excited to see how this ages. Would have given a 95 on day one, but less impressed on day 2.
Wanted to check in on this as previous notes said that it was approachable now. Still very tight though, the pendulum for the wine kept swinging between being open and closed over the course of a few hours. When it was open, the wine showed very pretty red fruits with a gorgeous nose that reminded me of a Burgundy actually. But when it was closed it was much less pleasant and a little disjointed with the firm tannins sticking out. Maybe beginning to shut down?
Great wine and good to drink now. Decanted for three hours before drinking it. Showed notes of Viole (no shit, sherlock) nypon berries, strawberry, rosepedals. The wine did not meet up to the expectations though. Will try again in a couple of years.
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Mesmerizing young Barolo. Such a gorgeous nose of cherry, pomegranate, raspberry and rose petal. It is elegant, highly perfumed and possesses latent power. Balance is exquisite and every sip draws you in. It is not heavy in the slightest and has such great energy and drive.
Tasted over two days, alongside a 2012 Produttori del Barbaresco.
This Barolo offered a prettiness of perfume and textures that the Barbaresco, made from declassified 'Cru' fruit this vintage, could not match. Indeed!...what an incredible bouquet...in a word...GORGEOUS! All things raspberry (fresh berries, jams, candies, teas, potpourri), in harmonious interplay with strawberry, rhubarb, pomegranate, and acerola, enhanced by orange marmalade, candied orange peel, orange blossom honey, kumquat, and candied lemon peel...with rose petal, hibiscus tea, rose hip, menthol, and evergreen forest top notes. In another...er...two words: KNEE-WEAKENING!!!
The bouquet's elements also show on the palate...in thunderous waves of esctacial rapture. (If this descriptor seems over-the-top...so be it.) Now to the inflection-changing textures: The attack puts the mind to Chambolle-Musigny while the middle and back evoke Corton. High acid and ethereally powdery tannin frame the wine with unpretentious grandiosity. The finish has no, nor understands the meaning of, quit.
Perfect oak treatment. Tremendous purity and harmony throughout. Incredible now, even better in time...and holding onto bottles will prove a challenging endeavor, no doubt. A top flight Barolo by any measure...including price.
Wine spectator - Mint and cut grass aromas give way to cherry, black currant and raspberry fruit in this juicy red. Tar, tobacco and eucalyptus accents add depth as this builds to a long, gripping finish. Shows fine balance and length - I totally agree with this review.
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Very expressive, medium bodied barolo. Airy florals, roses, cherry, strawberry. Very beautiful red fruits with a touch of sweetness on a lighter bodied frame. Much more delicate than 2015 and 2014 renditions of this wine. Unfortunately, you can sense a smidge of the 14.5% alcohol on the finish... the delicacy of the wine can't hide all of the power. Accordingly, this strikes me as a wine that peaks in another 10 years, versus 20+ years. I can see 93-94 today and 94-95 over time.
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I love this producer. Traditionally made Barolo. Primary nose of rose petals, tar, raspberry and all-spice undertone. So we’ll-made and incredibly well balanced. This is a true beauty to drink now or hold for 30+ years. Highly recommend +++
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This is just a beautifully rendered wine with perfect balance and great energy. Deep and crisp with lovely flavors of dark cherry and sweet asphalt with a very finely-etched texture. The finish is classically taut with a wonderful spicy complexity already apparent. Seems like a Barolo that will drink fabulously in the medium-term but possibly longer. 94+
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Vajra's 2016 Bricco delle Viole is one of the more accessible Barolo bottles today with a perfumed nose of raspberry, rose, and cedar. On the palate drying tannins frame cherry and raspberry flavors. A gorgeous wine, even today!
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Cool and aromatic style with sweet blue and red flowers, mint and licorice, pepper and cinnamon. Cherries in there too but this is all about flowers, spice, and cool herb. This is too young of course but already so pretty, and for now at least not that hard or closed. Near perfect structural balance with M+ acid, strong but sweet tannins, medium body. Classical style. Fantastic wine and exactly my kind of Barolo. It’s going to be hard to wait until my other bottles are ready but this is going to be so good in 5-10 years. 8.4/10 for now, higher with time.
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Phenomenal young Barolo. Intoxicating aromatics. Ripe, multidimensional fruit, with excellent focus and finesse, and a grippy, mineral finish that lasts and lasts. What a future this wine has.
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Possibly one of the best young Baroli I have ever tasted - Think Burlotto balance, elegance, complexity but in a different register. Hard candy (Jolly Rancher cherry and strawberry), rose petals, red flowers, spices, but a bit reticent and likely to shut down soon. Grand Cru Burgundy-like powdery tannins, terrific length, and I'm struggling with how wines like this are a small fraction of what some of the folks in Burgundy are fetching these days. Buy by the case (I already have).
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94. 3 hr decant. Expressive nose, floral bouquet, strawberries and red licorice. The palate is delicate and vibrant with more red fruit on a chiseled tannic structure. Worth the sneak peak.
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This wine is wide open today... Big and sweet nose with violets, dark and red cherry fruit, and a bit of pine. I’ve only had a few of these young and this is the sweetest and roundest I can remember. Explosive cherry fruit bomb of a wine — similar in its style to what’s noted above for the Via Nuova, a rich concentrated confit like quality that is at the same time very crunchy. There’s a big structure built on powdery tannins — but, it’s just buried by the fruit today. Spectacular stuff and, along with the Cogno Ravera, my favorite 2016 so far. Highly recommended.
Crystal clear iridescent translucent red ruby, ready clean aromas of sweet cherries bordering on grenache- like kirsch w a hint of anise too - floral and menthol notes join in on palate where ample tartness and a big dose of regal powdery tannins kick in and close things out pretty fast to a desiccated end. There is much to like here for certain and I think the tannins will be its signature.
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Vajra Tasting (Home): Coravin. Light ruby, minimal bricking; aromatic nose with sour cherry, slight menthol, a bit closed straight out of the bottle; palate is light bodied, tannins elegant and present but not harsh, higher alcohol than the Coste di Rose (14.5%) but well balanced, high acidity, red fruited with cherry; finish is long. Overall this seems like it has more depth and complexity than the Coste di Rose, but it's more coiled straight out of the bottle. 1 hour decanted: The aromatics on this have really improved and are an intense and complex blend of floral, spice, cinnamon, red fruited; palate is largely the same with a bit more fruit showing; finish is still quite long. Tons of potential here, drinking well now but my other bottles will wait 5-10 years. 94-95++ 3 hours in: this closes down a bit. Definitely will need some time to get through this period. I don’t think this drinks as well overall right now as some more basic bottlings.
Probably one of the best young barolos I had. Usually I have a hard time to judge Barolos just after release, due to the sometimes prohibitive tannins. The bouquet hits you with a mix of sour and amarena cherries, some menthol, herbs and some dark chocolate. A stand out are the super fine tannins, I usually only get in High-End Napa Cabernet or in a LaLa from Guigal. This will be great to follow over the next decades, we will see if it will close down for a few years. Don't get me wrong, the tannins and power is immense so it will easily hold for 2-3 decades.
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PnP. Unbelievable Barolo. Aromas were off the charts, and the palette kept growing and growing as the night went on. Can’t imagine how good this will get with time. Now I just need to buy a couple cases to hold me over for a while :) Very highly recommend.
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About 2 hour decant, enjoyed with truffle risotto.
Intense nose with masses of fruit: cherries, blackberries, sloan and wild strawberries. Also some rosemary, rosehip, orangepeel, roses and sage. On the palate again a cournucopia of fruit mingling with iron, liquorice, menthol, freshly dug earth and more herbs. Medium acidity and very fine tannins. Very long finish with more of the beautiful minerals and cherries. At times just a touch of heat but not enough to be a problem, rather just lifts the fruit. Absolutely amazing already but of course ought to be given a good snooze in the cellar. Only young Barolo I can think of that has been on this level is the 2010 Giacomo Fenocchio 90 ’di.
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Somewhat closed on the aromas, but has a really understated charm with this floral overtones over cherries, hints of ripe rosehip, exquisite spices and a pretty tar edge. Good full-bodied and a little tight Barolo, but this represents the wonderful 2016 vintage in a good way with this great balance between being concentrated, but also being forward-looking in the vintage. Delicious fruit of cherries, fresh redder fruit peel, spices and hints of tar. Long tight finish with a good saltiness. Brilliant wine also from Vajra in the vintage.
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The '16 BdV is an insanely beautiful wine. The expressive, sweet aromatics make a strong first impression. On the nose, I found sweet, almost candied red cherry and purple-toned fruits, intense red floral aromas, licorice, menthol, and sweet spices, all woven together beautifully. Everything was in balance, and cool in tone, but explosive and sweet in a way few wines are especially at this age. On the palate, the wine is similarly explosive and concentrated, but with incredible finesse. I sense there is a lot of tannic heft, but it's buried under the fruit. There is a wave of dark red fruit, lavender, licorice, menthol, and spices, with a striking inner sweetness to the fruit. The finish is long, with red fruit and spices. It's concentrated yet light on its feet.
As an aside on tannins - it's remarkable how much progress appears to have been made at Vajra and other wineries in the past decade. I tasted the '05 BdV last night and the '07 BdV a few weeks ago. The '05 has fine-grained tannins but they are very noticeable, and I found the '07 to remain very tannic - the '16 BdV, at four years of age, is much more refined and smooth on the palate than either of those two vintages. The vintage plays a role here - the '08 is more finessed than '05 or '07 for example - but there's clearly been an upgrade in tannin management in my view.
Anyway, the '16 BdV is remarkable. It's one of the top few wines I've tasted from the vintage. Scored a 96, but closer to the 2016 Barolos I've rated a 97 (i.e. Bartolo, Burlotto Monvigliero) than most I've given a 96 to (i.e. Elio Grasso, Sandrone Le Vigne) in my view - if only there were more points in the scale.
Riveting fragrant nose of rose, cherry, more rose, slightly candied red cherry. Palate rich fragrant and intense with more red fruit and enough structure to be good for a very long time. Classic BdV density combined with lifted lightness and terrific balance in an excellent showing. A wow wine now, will only get (possibly much) better.
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2016 Barolo Tasting (Vin, Vino, Wine, Palo Alto, Ca): Light ruby; aromatic, red cherry and maraschino cherry, overall a lovely depth to the nose and complex; palate is red fruited, red cherry, tannins surprisingly well integrated for such a young barolo but still structured (comes out more with a bit of air), high acidity, high alcohol but well balanced; finish is long and persistent with red cherry fruits. A lovely, elegant Bricco, with a long life ahead of it. Next bottle in 5 years. 94-95++
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Aroma: Somewhat faint nose of medicinal cherry, menthol and rose. Palate: Rather thin and one-dimensional, which suggests the wine is shut down. Suggestions of cherries and cured meat, but this is really hard to read.
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2/20/2024 - Hepp_Cellar wrote: 95 Points
This was very highly rated when I bought it and it really delivered. Really, really good.
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2/10/2024 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Decanted for 2.5 hours, medium red hue like a Pinot, red cherries, powerful bold aromas, the palate is rich & very refined, caressing tannins envelope your mouth, v good young Barolo
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10/14/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:
Remarkable depth of fruit for a young Barolo with super fine tannins. It was great to check in on this wine and it showed extraordinarily well, but it will of course only improve with time. For me the Bricco delle Viole was probably the single greatest value in the 16 vintage.
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10/8/2023 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Opened the night before & it needed it, big full bodied Barolo that was balanced, enjoyable & paired well with bone marrow
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6/9/2023 - Gene_Mo wrote: 90 Points
Popped the cork about 5 hrs early for a little decant. Graphite prevalent but nice fruit. Thats about it. Nice, but I dont expect I will return to this wine.
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5/19/2023 - SARED wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour. 14.5% Expressive on the nose, but not as beautiful when I tried it on release. In fact, I found the VA distracting on the nose without so much of the fruit or rose I found in youth. A little spicy on the finish. I'm a little surprised this is now a $150 wine per CT auction data, but I guess its cheaper than Burgundy! Maybe Vajra isn't my jam? Will try 08 BdV next.
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4/29/2023 - connorpksmith Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes before enjoying over an hour at L’artusi. Same as my previous notes. This is outstanding. Aromas filled the entire room and the palate went on for days. Finish goes on and on. I can’t wait to see how this develops over the next few decades. 96-97+
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3/11/2023 - ragavolley Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cerise et mentholée . Cuire et terre . Wow super doux avec une longueur un des meilleurs Barolo
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1/16/2023 - connorpksmith Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pnp over 2 hours at 2 Amy's Pizzeria. This is still going strong! Wish we gave it a short decant before enjoying. This kept getting better and better as the night went on. The last sip was the best. Still one of the best Barolos from the '16 vintage IMO.
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1/15/2023 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:
By the glass. Open the first bottle of the tasting to allow it to breathe the longer the better. Aromas of cherries and red berries with spices sprinkled, nutmeg type. On the palate it is tasty from the beginning, enough acid support and a final tannic. Definitely one of the best Vajra I have taken place to taste. Maybe because it’s atypical.
Por copas. Botella abierta la primera para permitir que respirase cuanto más rato mejor. Aromas a cerezas y bayas rojas con especias espolvoreadas tipo nuez moscada. Al paladar es sabrosa desde el inicio, suficiente soporte ácido y un tánico final. Sin duda uno de los mejores Vajra que he tenido lugar de catar. Quizás por atípica.
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12/9/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Still going strong! Cherry fruit, fresh, lively on the palate. To hold.
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12/8/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
At the five day mark. And still going strong, shockingly so.
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12/4/2022 - SARED wrote:
Big nose. Wine shut down after an hour. Dark red fruit, rose, rosewood and cinnamon than the brightness of youthful red fruit.
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12/4/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Massively stern on the palate off the cork opening. I forget where this cru is. Certainly not serralunga! But the aromatics are there. To lay down, but its open so we shall see where it goes!
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9/24/2022 - chablis28 wrote: 94 Points
Hadn't planned to open my first this soon given the vintage but reliable recent CT notes made me glad I did. I've been buying & drinking Bric delle Violle regularly since '04. Most vintages have enough polish to open well before a Giacosa or Bartolo Mascarello release. Assuming you give it enough air. Opened 4-1/2 hrs prior to dinner. A quick sniff & sip were promising so I simply slow-oxed in Reidel Burgs & btl the rest of the way. While still needing yrs to showcase its tertiary rewards this is surely a pleasure now celebrating its stellar; balance, freshness & top-notch fruit in '16. Enticing roses & underbrush on the nose. Delicious dark raspberry, licorice, mint, earth & underbrush. 14.5% alc went unnoticed.
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7/3/2022 - BlueDevilWineLVR Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wine was a showstopper for me. I adore all of the ‘16s, but this one was lush, tobacco, tar, mushroom. It felt like I could taste the earth on which the grapes were grown. A beautiful wine to have with a steak or a nice cheese selection. It almost tastes like a Bordeaux to me, but maybe because it is so smooth. I did not taste any of the tight tannins I would expect with a young Barolo. I will be curious to see how this ages. I decanted for 3 hours the first day but I don’t even think it needs such a long decant. Maybe an hour is enough. Second day I drank it from the bottle and kept going back for more. As someone else has noted, this bottle won’t last until day 3.
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3/25/2022 - Motz wrote: 97 Points
Drank over two days...because it was too delicious to hold for a third.
In an overstated vintage, which features intoxicating, all-things-raspberry, crunchy red fruits and berries, rhubarb, exotic citrus, acerola, and 'sweet' herb-driven bouquets, yet, in many instances, on the palate, high-pitched, lean, astringent, biting elements, this, along with Vietti's Castiglione offering, stand out among offerings that retail for under $100.
This wine delivers! The equal parts red and purple fruited perfume, also offers violets, rose oil, mint, wintergreen, rosemary, hibiscus tea, spring potpourri, citrus preserves, berry liqueurs, red and purple root vegetables, and pipe tobacco, backed by tremendous earth and mineral depth and wafting petrol.
The evocative attack rivets the senses, turns spectacularly expansive at the middle, gracing, then bracing, then gracing again, with tremendous precision, lift, and elegance. Beware the powdery and gritty tannins that kick in at the back, and linger through a sophisticated flavorful finish of striking length and inflection-changing range.
Pure, abstract yet concrete, delicate yet powerful, sleek yet gripping.
Only non-tanninphobes should drink this over the next several years, after a long decant, 8 to 10 hours will do it no harm. Otherwise, hold for at least a decade. Likely to evolve through 2045+ and hold for a long while thereafter.
Difficult to find such QPR at under $100, from any region, the world over. 97-98.
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1/23/2022 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 95 Points
2016 Vajra (and Baudana) Barolo tasting (Wellington, NZ): Among the historical vineyards of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is the highest and the closest to the Alps at between 400 to 480 meters above sea level, on the Western ridge of the village. Its vines date back to 1949 and due to early sunrise and late sunset and what Vajra calls the “perfect southern exposure” enjoys a dramatic diurnal temperature range.
The most expressive and perfumed of the 2016s. Lovely aromatics. Blackberries, some crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, spices, cloves and gentle rose florals and a whisp of violets. On palate, very black fruited and precise with a touch of mint. Sleek and elegant. Bright, focused acidity. Serious structure and mid palate weight. Powerful and tightly coiled with iron ore at its core. The tannins even more fine-grained than with the Ravera but more closed, with even more tannic grip. Powerful, persistent acidity. At present, severe and strict. This wine will need even longer to unfurl, perhaps drinking from 2028+. Great expectations here. Classic, traditionally made Barolo. Wine of the tasting. 95+.
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9/24/2021 - catowne1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over two days. Day one pop and pour. Let breath only the glass, and consumed the first glass over about an hour and a half. The nose was initially very fresh. Mint and cherries with just a hint of leather and tobacco. Very tannic, yet had a creaminess to the mouthfeel. Incredible. Day two, slightly less intriguing. The freshness of the nose gave way to a bit more alcohol and a cheesiness that wasn’t there before. There is an austerity on the palate that wasn’t present in day one.
1 or 3 bottles I have, so I am excited to see how this ages. Would have given a 95 on day one, but less impressed on day 2.
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7/24/2021 - melvinyeowq wrote:
Wanted to check in on this as previous notes said that it was approachable now. Still very tight though, the pendulum for the wine kept swinging between being open and closed over the course of a few hours. When it was open, the wine showed very pretty red fruits with a gorgeous nose that reminded me of a Burgundy actually. But when it was closed it was much less pleasant and a little disjointed with the firm tannins sticking out. Maybe beginning to shut down?
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6/19/2021 - Jonas Boman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine and good to drink now. Decanted for three hours before drinking it. Showed notes of Viole (no shit, sherlock) nypon berries, strawberry, rosepedals.
The wine did not meet up to the expectations though. Will try again in a couple of years.
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5/30/2021 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Mesmerizing young Barolo. Such a gorgeous nose of cherry, pomegranate, raspberry and rose petal. It is elegant, highly perfumed and possesses latent power. Balance is exquisite and every sip draws you in. It is not heavy in the slightest and has such great energy and drive.
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5/27/2021 - Motz wrote: 98 Points
Tasted over two days, alongside a 2012 Produttori del Barbaresco.
This Barolo offered a prettiness of perfume and textures that the Barbaresco, made from declassified 'Cru' fruit this vintage, could not match. Indeed!...what an incredible bouquet...in a word...GORGEOUS! All things raspberry (fresh berries, jams, candies, teas, potpourri), in harmonious interplay with strawberry, rhubarb, pomegranate, and acerola, enhanced by orange marmalade, candied orange peel, orange blossom honey, kumquat, and candied lemon peel...with rose petal, hibiscus tea, rose hip, menthol, and evergreen forest top notes. In another...er...two words: KNEE-WEAKENING!!!
The bouquet's elements also show on the palate...in thunderous waves of esctacial rapture. (If this descriptor seems over-the-top...so be it.) Now to the inflection-changing textures: The attack puts the mind to Chambolle-Musigny while the middle and back evoke Corton. High acid and ethereally powdery tannin frame the wine with unpretentious grandiosity. The finish has no, nor understands the meaning of, quit.
Perfect oak treatment. Tremendous purity and harmony throughout. Incredible now, even better in time...and holding onto bottles will prove a challenging endeavor, no doubt. A top flight Barolo by any measure...including price.
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4/30/2021 - jwalkuro Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wine spectator -
Mint and cut grass aromas give way to cherry, black currant and raspberry fruit in this juicy red. Tar, tobacco and eucalyptus accents add depth as this builds to a long, gripping finish. Shows fine balance and length - I totally agree with this review.
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4/22/2021 - SARED Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very expressive, medium bodied barolo. Airy florals, roses, cherry, strawberry. Very beautiful red fruits with a touch of sweetness on a lighter bodied frame. Much more delicate than 2015 and 2014 renditions of this wine. Unfortunately, you can sense a smidge of the 14.5% alcohol on the finish... the delicacy of the wine can't hide all of the power. Accordingly, this strikes me as a wine that peaks in another 10 years, versus 20+ years. I can see 93-94 today and 94-95 over time.
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3/20/2021 - munsua13 Likes this wine: 99 Points
I love this producer. Traditionally made Barolo. Primary nose of rose petals, tar, raspberry and all-spice undertone. So we’ll-made and incredibly well balanced. This is a true beauty to drink now or hold for 30+ years. Highly recommend +++
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3/17/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is just a beautifully rendered wine with perfect balance and great energy. Deep and crisp with lovely flavors of dark cherry and sweet asphalt with a very finely-etched texture. The finish is classically taut with a wonderful spicy complexity already apparent. Seems like a Barolo that will drink fabulously in the medium-term but possibly longer. 94+
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3/6/2021 - rlove wrote: 94 Points
Vajra's 2016 Bricco delle Viole is one of the more accessible Barolo bottles today with a perfumed nose of raspberry, rose, and cedar. On the palate drying tannins frame cherry and raspberry flavors. A gorgeous wine, even today!
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2/14/2021 - afields wrote:
Cool and aromatic style with sweet blue and red flowers, mint and licorice, pepper and cinnamon. Cherries in there too but this is all about flowers, spice, and cool herb. This is too young of course but already so pretty, and for now at least not that hard or closed. Near perfect structural balance with M+ acid, strong but sweet tannins, medium body. Classical style. Fantastic wine and exactly my kind of Barolo. It’s going to be hard to wait until my other bottles are ready but this is going to be so good in 5-10 years. 8.4/10 for now, higher with time.
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1/24/2021 - kway wrote: 96 Points
Phenomenal young Barolo. Intoxicating aromatics. Ripe, multidimensional fruit, with excellent focus and finesse, and a grippy, mineral finish that lasts and lasts. What a future this wine has.
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12/29/2020 - RyanJames Likes this wine: 96 Points
Possibly one of the best young Baroli I have ever tasted - Think Burlotto balance, elegance, complexity but in a different register. Hard candy (Jolly Rancher cherry and strawberry), rose petals, red flowers, spices, but a bit reticent and likely to shut down soon. Grand Cru Burgundy-like powdery tannins, terrific length, and I'm struggling with how wines like this are a small fraction of what some of the folks in Burgundy are fetching these days. Buy by the case (I already have).
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12/5/2020 - Arcturus wrote: 94 Points
94. 3 hr decant. Expressive nose, floral bouquet, strawberries and red licorice. The palate is delicate and vibrant with more red fruit on a chiseled tannic structure. Worth the sneak peak.
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11/29/2020 - BordeauxNut wrote: 98 Points
This wine is wide open today... Big and sweet nose with violets, dark and red cherry fruit, and a bit of pine. I’ve only had a few of these young and this is the sweetest and roundest I can remember. Explosive cherry fruit bomb of a wine — similar in its style to what’s noted above for the Via Nuova, a rich concentrated confit like quality that is at the same time very crunchy. There’s a big structure built on powdery tannins — but, it’s just buried by the fruit today. Spectacular stuff and, along with the Cogno Ravera, my favorite 2016 so far. Highly recommended.
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11/19/2020 - Tgood wrote: 91 Points
Crystal clear iridescent translucent red ruby, ready clean aromas of sweet cherries bordering on grenache- like kirsch w a hint of anise too - floral and menthol notes join in on palate where ample tartness and a big dose of regal powdery tannins kick in and close things out pretty fast to a desiccated end. There is much to like here for certain and I think the tannins will be its signature.
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11/16/2020 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
Vajra Tasting (Home): Coravin. Light ruby, minimal bricking; aromatic nose with sour cherry, slight menthol, a bit closed straight out of the bottle; palate is light bodied, tannins elegant and present but not harsh, higher alcohol than the Coste di Rose (14.5%) but well balanced, high acidity, red fruited with cherry; finish is long. Overall this seems like it has more depth and complexity than the Coste di Rose, but it's more coiled straight out of the bottle.
1 hour decanted: The aromatics on this have really improved and are an intense and complex blend of floral, spice, cinnamon, red fruited; palate is largely the same with a bit more fruit showing; finish is still quite long. Tons of potential here, drinking well now but my other bottles will wait 5-10 years. 94-95++
3 hours in: this closes down a bit. Definitely will need some time to get through this period. I don’t think this drinks as well overall right now as some more basic bottlings.
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11/7/2020 - Klugi Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Probably one of the best young barolos I had. Usually I have a hard time to judge Barolos just after release, due to the sometimes prohibitive tannins. The bouquet hits you with a mix of sour and amarena cherries, some menthol, herbs and some dark chocolate. A stand out are the super fine tannins, I usually only get in High-End Napa Cabernet or in a LaLa from Guigal. This will be great to follow over the next decades, we will see if it will close down for a few years. Don't get me wrong, the tannins and power is immense so it will easily hold for 2-3 decades.
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11/7/2020 - connorpksmith Likes this wine: 96 Points
PnP. Unbelievable Barolo. Aromas were off the charts, and the palette kept growing and growing as the night went on. Can’t imagine how good this will get with time. Now I just need to buy a couple cases to hold me over for a while :) Very highly recommend.
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11/6/2020 - Puteljen! Likes this wine: 95 Points
About 2 hour decant, enjoyed with truffle risotto.
Intense nose with masses of fruit: cherries, blackberries, sloan and wild strawberries. Also some rosemary, rosehip, orangepeel, roses and sage. On the palate again a cournucopia of fruit mingling with iron, liquorice, menthol, freshly dug earth and more herbs. Medium acidity and very fine tannins. Very long finish with more of the beautiful minerals and cherries. At times just a touch of heat but not enough to be a problem, rather just lifts the fruit. Absolutely amazing already but of course ought to be given a good snooze in the cellar. Only young Barolo I can think of that has been on this level is the 2010 Giacomo Fenocchio 90 ’di.
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11/6/2020 - Andre Brattland wrote: 94 Points
Somewhat closed on the aromas, but has a really understated charm with this floral overtones over cherries, hints of ripe rosehip, exquisite spices and a pretty tar edge. Good full-bodied and a little tight Barolo, but this represents the wonderful 2016 vintage in a good way with this great balance between being concentrated, but also being forward-looking in the vintage. Delicious fruit of cherries, fresh redder fruit peel, spices and hints of tar. Long tight finish with a good saltiness. Brilliant wine also from Vajra in the vintage.
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10/9/2020 - Robmcl920 Likes this wine: 96 Points
The '16 BdV is an insanely beautiful wine. The expressive, sweet aromatics make a strong first impression. On the nose, I found sweet, almost candied red cherry and purple-toned fruits, intense red floral aromas, licorice, menthol, and sweet spices, all woven together beautifully. Everything was in balance, and cool in tone, but explosive and sweet in a way few wines are especially at this age. On the palate, the wine is similarly explosive and concentrated, but with incredible finesse. I sense there is a lot of tannic heft, but it's buried under the fruit. There is a wave of dark red fruit, lavender, licorice, menthol, and spices, with a striking inner sweetness to the fruit. The finish is long, with red fruit and spices. It's concentrated yet light on its feet.
As an aside on tannins - it's remarkable how much progress appears to have been made at Vajra and other wineries in the past decade. I tasted the '05 BdV last night and the '07 BdV a few weeks ago. The '05 has fine-grained tannins but they are very noticeable, and I found the '07 to remain very tannic - the '16 BdV, at four years of age, is much more refined and smooth on the palate than either of those two vintages. The vintage plays a role here - the '08 is more finessed than '05 or '07 for example - but there's clearly been an upgrade in tannin management in my view.
Anyway, the '16 BdV is remarkable. It's one of the top few wines I've tasted from the vintage. Scored a 96, but closer to the 2016 Barolos I've rated a 97 (i.e. Bartolo, Burlotto Monvigliero) than most I've given a 96 to (i.e. Elio Grasso, Sandrone Le Vigne) in my view - if only there were more points in the scale.
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10/2/2020 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 95 Points
Riveting fragrant nose of rose, cherry, more rose, slightly candied red cherry. Palate rich fragrant and intense with more red fruit and enough structure to be good for a very long time. Classic BdV density combined with lifted lightness and terrific balance in an excellent showing. A wow wine now, will only get (possibly much) better.
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10/2/2020 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
2016 Barolo Tasting (Vin, Vino, Wine, Palo Alto, Ca): Light ruby; aromatic, red cherry and maraschino cherry, overall a lovely depth to the nose and complex; palate is red fruited, red cherry, tannins surprisingly well integrated for such a young barolo but still structured (comes out more with a bit of air), high acidity, high alcohol but well balanced; finish is long and persistent with red cherry fruits. A lovely, elegant Bricco, with a long life ahead of it. Next bottle in 5 years. 94-95++
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10/2/2020 - kosinski wrote:
Aroma: Somewhat faint nose of medicinal cherry, menthol and rose.
Palate: Rather thin and one-dimensional, which suggests the wine is shut down. Suggestions of cherries and cured meat, but this is really hard to read.
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7/23/2020 - Dionysos 1920 wrote: 96 Points
Dégusté à la cave. Nez confituré, gras, énorme fruit, beaux tannins, très puissant.
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