Vajra Barolo 'Bricco delle Viole' 2017
Bricco delle Viole is like a cut of silk: pure, elegant, and ethereal. Born on the highest hill of Barolo, a promontory facing south, embraced by the Alps. It receives the first morning sun and the last ray of the evening. In autumn this vineyard seems to float above the fog, as if detached from time and light. The vineyard features material from 1949 and successive plantings in 1963, 1968 and 1985. Bricco delle Viole possesses extremely white soils. Rich in limestone, magnesium and manganese, with the contribution of high altitude and the afternoon breeze, these soils create wines rich in finesse, floral aromas and freshness. The old vines of Bricco delle Viole are the last to be harvested - a wait that makes our heart beat faster, because the weather can change rapidly in autumn. But the patience of the farmer knows that the wait will be rewarded with high aromatic complexity and extreme finesse. The fruit undergoes a long maceration that might go as long as 45 days, including some time with a submerged cap. Malolactic conversion takes place in steel in the spring following the harvest. It's then aged for 32 months in 25hL Slavonian oak casks before bottling. – Giuseppe Vaira
A fair old amount of perfume here. Raspberry, rose oil, menthol and five spice. Just over medium-bodied, raspberry and red cherry, again the sweet spices, and a bit of tobacco savoury stuff, fresh too, with pumice stone tannin, and a long firm finish. Maybe not quite as fine as some of the better years, but gee it’s still keeping itself pretty tidy. 95 points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
The G.D. Vajra 2017 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is packed with medium dark cherry fruit and plum. The wine also shows a savory side, with spice, hazelnut cream, licorice and lightly fragrant potting soil. This vintage sits solid on the palate, wrapping thickly over the senses, thanks to its creamy, fruit-driven consistency and well-managed tannins. These vines are high in elevation, ranging from 400 to 480 meters in altitude. Those higher elevations are key to interpreting a vintage that saw heat such as this. 95 points. Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
These guys have been seriously kicking goals in the past few vintages. Richer, riper fruit than the two Barbaresco’s, yet a wonderful sour cherry twist, with that little amaro note at the back (love that). The richer fruit helps to cover up the substantial tannins, with notes of black licorice and earth placing it in Barolo. Drank the last third of the bottle two nights later and it is looking superb. Ian Cook.
The 2017 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is classy and elegant to the core. Medium in body and wonderfully translucent, the 2017 captures all of the finesse of this site. Naturally, the 2017 also shows the ripeness of the year, but it retains its sublime sense of poise. The 2017 Bricco delle Viole is one of the clear stand outs of the year. 95 points. Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media.
