2016 G.D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba

• By Antonio Galloni
  New Releases from the Langhe, Roero, Asti & More (May 2019), 5/1/2019, (See more on Vinous...)

  (G.d. Vajra Barbera D'alba Red) Login and sign up and see review text.

The WINEFRONT

• By Gary Walsh
  9/28/2018, (See more on The WINEFRONT...)

  (G.D. Vajra Barbera) Login and subscribe to see review text.

JancisRobinson.com

• By Richard Hemming, MW
  6/5/2018, (See more on JancisRobinson.com...)

  (G D Vajra Barbera d'Alba Red) Subscribe to see review text.

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull Italian Stars Align, 8/23/2018

  (G.D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba) Hello friends. We’ve been singing the praises of Piemontese producer G.D. Vajra for some time now. From entry level red blends to mighty, full-fledged Barolos, Vajra’s wines offer tremendous quality at approachable pricing. Today, we have an extremely rare treat—the ability to offer the winery’s Langhe Rosso, a list mainstay and a wine we have frequently referred to as the gateway drug to the Vajra lineup, alongside two of the winery’s Piemontese single varieties. This is a rare treat because these wines can be super challenging to time up for an offer. The Dolcetto and Barbera never arrive to our corner of the world in huge quantities, and the Langhe Rosso is incredibly popular in our market. What usually happens is this: the Langhe Rosso arrives and we have first dibs, but the Dolcetto is long-gone. We wait for a new shipment of Dolcetto, but by the time it arrives, the Barbera is sold out. Finally, there’s enough Barbera, but the Langhe Rosso has changed vintages. And so on and so forth—until the stars finally align. Today is one of those rare instances where the stars are in our favor and we have access to all three at the same time. So, please order accordingly; this will be a one-and-done offer, and it could be a while before it happens again.Piedmont is Barbera’s ancestral homeland—and some experts suspect its origin dates back to the 7th century. These are ancient grapes from the birthplace of Barbera. The grape itself is the most planted of the region, once simply planted to take up vineyard space that wasn’t fit for the region’s favorite Nebbiolo. However, over the last century, there has been a push to plant Barbara more thoughtfully. Vajra’s version is sourced from six different vineyards from three different growing areas: Barolo, Novello, and Sinio. Vajra’s Barbera is about as honest a rendition as you’ll fine: fruit-forward, deep, and astonishingly lifted. It’s heavily pigmented in color—yet surprisingly light on the palate. (Almost the opposite of Nebbiolo in some ways—which is deceptively light in color with powerhouse tannins.) Clocking in at 14% listed alc, it opens with black cherries, plums, leafy tobacco, and plenty of blood orange acidity. There is a delightful savory undertone of subtle saline and spice. The palate is mouth-watering, succulent, with pure fruit intensity and lifted with bountiful natural acidity. It’s layered with graphite minerality, a tell-tale marker of the Bertone vineyard in Sinio where it’s partially sourced. This wine just begs for an early fall evening and an all-day Sunday gravy.