June 5, 2022 - Four Piemontese drunk at home over several evenings (Wellington, NZ): Deep, dark crimson colour. A muted nose with aromas of blackcurrants and blackberries, dark cherries and Black Doris plums, tobacco leaf and wet terracotta pot. On palate, polished, vibrant blackberries. Also liquorice, dried herbs, dark cherries and plums, and a little cacao and dark chocolate. Sleek, svelte tannins. The impression of lower acidity. Satiny mouthfeel however the alcohol a little over-prominent (14.5% ABV). Many vintages, I regard this label from Vajra as one of the best Barberas in the whole Langhe. However, at least at present, based on this bottle, the 2013 is somewhat disappointing. Presently drinking quite primary, it's a bit one-dimensional. The underlying material and balance, overall, seem good, so I am at 90, but a hold until 2024+.
March 5, 2022 - Double decanted for 1h. Somewhat shy aromas of pomegranate and black cherries, earth, herbs and some flowers. Palate w bright pomegranate and red cherries, herbs, some flowers and some earth. Excellent, juicy acids w model tannins on a medium bodied frame. A somewhat short finish. Still lively and in no way fading. Drinking nicely now.
December 8, 2021 - Decanted two hours before dinner. My fourth bottle (L 50 15), and the same notes and vote from the last one just three months ago. Young and vibrant, a very good food wine, smooth and refreshing despite its size and extraction, but lacking complexity.
September 14, 2021 - My third bottle, and I still think the best is several years away. Decanted one hour before dinner and consumed over three nights, it is very dark, with lots of extraction, but also with lots of acidity. Big fruit, not showing oak or alcohol, despite its 14.5%, so the wine is refreshing despite its hefty weight. My disappointment with the wine is a lack of aromatic complexity, which seems to be typical of Barbera, although I had several of these from the late 90s and early 10s that were aromatic.
January 24, 2021 - Still a youngster. Powerful.
June 17, 2020 - Has gained from some years in the cellar. Still intense and big, but the oak has integrated and the edges are softer. Very good in it's price range.
March 3, 2020 - My second bottle, the first was 26 months ago and the wine at that time was big, impressive, but way too young. It has evolved since then, but is still a wine with many years ahead of it. This is a highly extracted wine with a deep, dark color; fragrances and flavors of ripe dark fruits, with some black pepper spice and a hint of tobacco; and a medium-full body, with lots of underlying acidity, some tannins and a nice savory finish. There is less aromatic complexity than on some of the previous vintages of Vajra’s Bd’AS wines, but the delicious and intense fruit and the sappy, persistent acidity make it great to drink.
On night two it is almost the same, which bodes well for its longevity but perhaps presages that it will never develop the aromatic complexity that I prize in this wine’s greatest vintages (07, 09, 10 in my memory). We’ll see over the next ten years.
January 12, 2019 - very nice. full bodied and well rounded wine. juicy. healthy acidity. puts on weight with air as well as drinking 2nd day. less floral than ripe red fruit nose.
November 19, 2018 - Purchased for $32 at a cookie store in Georgia while on vacation! Huh?
The wine was big, juicy, and thick, with ripe black and blue fruits, bolstered by wet stones and black pepper...yet there is something giving this big wine a nice, refreshing lift on the palate.
Tannins are just starting to unwind, and nicely aided by energetic acidity, this wine will drink nicely through 2026+.
September 14, 2018 - Hmmm... etwas hervorstehende Säure, Frucht ist im Moment verschwunden. Dicht, viel zu jung, bissig/aggressiv. Warten!