G D Vajra Barolo "Ravera" DOCG 2020
(Piedmont, Italy) - [WE 97] [JD 96] [VM 94+] [WS 94] [DM 93]
Regular price $150.00 Sale price $109.97 Save $40.03
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Notes from the Winemaker:
Ravera is the most important single vineyard in Comune di Novello, located on the south-west quadrant of the Barolo area. This site has a very complex underground where marls of Tortonian origin mix with clays and sandstones of the Serravallian period. Our parcels are located in the most southern amphitheater, between 320 and 340 meters asl.
Barolo DOCG Ravera has a powerful and expressive nose with bright red raspberry, pomegranate and orange blossom. There is a lovely balsamic note that leaves the way to a mineral undertone of graphite. Palate has a wonderful width that reveals minerality, wild berries and fruit stones with a noble and austere structure and a lingering, lengthy finish.
Ratings & Reviews
97 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
" The Ravera cru, one of the estate's prized holdings, is known for its calcareous soil and old vines that contribute to the wine's depth and ageability. This Barolo showcases crushed raspberries and red currants intertwined with wild thyme and fresh laurel. Subtle notes of cinchona bark, whole cinnamon, and fresh porcini add complexity. On the palate, warmed mixed berry jam is dusted with crushed cloves, pepper, and earthy hints of truffle and underbrush. Fine and elegant tannins provide structure, while the well-balanced warmth envelops the senses like a comforting hug. Drink Now - 2045 " - Jeff Porter (Sep 2024)
" The Ravera cru, one of the estate's prized holdings, is known for its calcareous soil and old vines that contribute to the wine's depth and ageability. This Barolo showcases crushed raspberries and red currants intertwined with wild thyme and fresh laurel. Subtle notes of cinchona bark, whole cinnamon, and fresh porcini add complexity. On the palate, warmed mixed berry jam is dusted with crushed cloves, pepper, and earthy hints of truffle and underbrush. Fine and elegant tannins provide structure, while the well-balanced warmth envelops the senses like a comforting hug. Drink Now - 2045 " - Jeff Porter (Sep 2024)
96 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
" Bright ruby-colored, the 2020 Barolo Ravera is fresh and fruity with notes of cherry candies, lilacs, darker spice (almost anise, but sweeter), and sweet sage, but it’s all well-integrated. Medium-bodied on the palate, it takes on more depth and richness, with a velvety, iron-rich texture that Giuseppe Vajra believes can be attributed to the microclimate of the vineyard, where nights are cooler and the lower parts of the vineyard are warmer. Drink 2026-2046.<!--more-->The G.D. Vajra estate is based within the commune of Barolo, with the entire family contributing and Giuseppe and Aldo Vajra at the helm of the winemaking responsibilities. Giuseppe, who took more of a leadership role in 2008, has been instrumental in continuing to develop the family estate, while Isidoro Vajra leads in vineyard management. Most recently they have completed the expansion of their cellar space and offices. They are also now releasing their wines a touch later to allow for additional time in bottle to soften any harsh edges. As of the 2019 vintage, both the G.D. Vajra and Luigi Baudana estates are certified organic. (Drink between 2026-2046)" - (Sep 2024)
" Bright ruby-colored, the 2020 Barolo Ravera is fresh and fruity with notes of cherry candies, lilacs, darker spice (almost anise, but sweeter), and sweet sage, but it’s all well-integrated. Medium-bodied on the palate, it takes on more depth and richness, with a velvety, iron-rich texture that Giuseppe Vajra believes can be attributed to the microclimate of the vineyard, where nights are cooler and the lower parts of the vineyard are warmer. Drink 2026-2046.<!--more-->The G.D. Vajra estate is based within the commune of Barolo, with the entire family contributing and Giuseppe and Aldo Vajra at the helm of the winemaking responsibilities. Giuseppe, who took more of a leadership role in 2008, has been instrumental in continuing to develop the family estate, while Isidoro Vajra leads in vineyard management. Most recently they have completed the expansion of their cellar space and offices. They are also now releasing their wines a touch later to allow for additional time in bottle to soften any harsh edges. As of the 2019 vintage, both the G.D. Vajra and Luigi Baudana estates are certified organic. (Drink between 2026-2046)" - (Sep 2024)
94+ Points - Vinous Media:
" The 2020 Barolo Ravera is a gorgeous, aromatically exotic wine that is going to need time to be at its best. Orange peel, spice, menthol and kirsch all lift from the glass, conveying a good deal of ethereal Nebbiolo beauty before the tannins kick in. There's gorgeous weight and substance here, in the mid-weight style of the year. More than anything else, I admire the balance. (Drink between 2025-2035)" - Antonio Galloni (Jan 2024)
94 Points - Wine Spectator:
" A dense, compact version, with cherry and raspberry fruit accented by hay, thyme, iron and tobacco notes. Linear and lively, with mouthpuckering tannins framing the finish, this needs time for all its elements to come together. Best from 2029 through 2050. 850 cases made, 400 cases imported." - Bruce Sanderson (Nov 2024)
" A dense, compact version, with cherry and raspberry fruit accented by hay, thyme, iron and tobacco notes. Linear and lively, with mouthpuckering tannins framing the finish, this needs time for all its elements to come together. Best from 2029 through 2050. 850 cases made, 400 cases imported." - Bruce Sanderson (Nov 2024)
93 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"The 2020 vintage had good weather during flowering; Giuseppe believes this impacts the wines tremendously; whether it was lack of pollution during the lockdown, he believes vine rows flowered gorgeously in the Barolo communes. The Ravera site is rich in iron oxide in the soils, and in the far south of Barolo, near Montforte, there was a brick factory near here 200 years ago, which speaks to the clay-rich soils. The aromatics are rich and opulent, giving hints of exotic spice and frankincense. The palate is stunning and layered—a roundness and ripe character with black cherry flesh, smoky-turned soils and spicy red plums. (Drink between 2024-2035)" - Clive Pursehouse (Mar 2024)
"The 2020 vintage had good weather during flowering; Giuseppe believes this impacts the wines tremendously; whether it was lack of pollution during the lockdown, he believes vine rows flowered gorgeously in the Barolo communes. The Ravera site is rich in iron oxide in the soils, and in the far south of Barolo, near Montforte, there was a brick factory near here 200 years ago, which speaks to the clay-rich soils. The aromatics are rich and opulent, giving hints of exotic spice and frankincense. The palate is stunning and layered—a roundness and ripe character with black cherry flesh, smoky-turned soils and spicy red plums. (Drink between 2024-2035)" - Clive Pursehouse (Mar 2024)