2019 Barolo Bricco Viole
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Tasting notes
Full bottle 1,322 g. Certified organic (Ecocert), sustainable (SQNPI). Bricco delle Viole is the highest Barolo vineyard and the closest to the Alps. It rises from 400 to 480 m asl along the eastern ridge of the village. Its name, 'Hill of Violets', originates from the flowers that blossom early because of the south exposure. Up above the fogs, it gets the earliest sunrise and the latest sunset. Vines date back to 1931, 194 and 1968. 28 months in 25- and 50-hl Slavonian oak, 31 days submerged cap. Smells earthy, like the damp winter depth of rich dark soil of an oak forest. Smells of violets. Mushrooms crushed underfoot. Tastes of tea leaves and tamarind and dried sour cherries and cranberries. Tastes of the bitter red-gold sere of autumn. Tannins that, even now, so young, feel like mist and salt ripping down the mountain. Tendrils of woodsmoke on the finish. Haunting, even if embryonic. (TC)
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
To be released mid 2024. Rich fruit and floral with real spread over the palate. Impressive. Polished leather and liquorice. Dry, but not too drying, finish. Really fine and fresh. Lip-smacking. (JR)
The last wine poured at my tasting at the winery is the G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole. With its high vantage point in the hills west of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is a world apart in terms of soils (with Sant'Agata marl and fossils) and even harvest times. Slow and careful ripening like the kind that characterizes fruit in 2019 renders a very delicate and ethereal expression with floral tones, wild mint and licorice. This organic wine is solid in build and structure. Indeed, Isidoro Vaira remarks that Nebbiolo tannins have changed since the 1970s and 1980s. Because of climate change and stylistic preference, they are more polished and accessible today.
Aromas of crushed stone, flowers and berries follow through to a medium to full body with firm and velvety tannins and a juicy finish. Very primary now and needs time to develop in the bottle. From organically grown grapes.