98pts Jeb Dunnuck

A ripe ruby color, the 2020 Barolo Bricco Delle Viole is incredible on the nose. Initially lightly smoky on opening, it needs a little time to reveal notes of candied roses, wild raspberries, tea leaf, and sweet sage. Medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannins, a balanced, compact nature, and a velvety texture, it is nicely concentrated, yet with a weightless feel. This is one of the most complete wines I’ve tasted from Vjara to date. It has depth, but with a defined feel, and is long on the palate, with an exceptional finish. It’s going to have a wide drinking window but age at a very slow rate over the next two to three decades.

97pts Wine Advocate

 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The organic G.D. Vajra 2021 Barolo Bricco delle Viole first shows a fragile side, but it eventually rolls onto much greater momentum and focus as it opens in the glass. This is always one of my favorite wines from this excellent producer, and I love it especially thanks to its fine nuances of redcurrant, pressed flower and something a little savory like peat moss. There is a hint of ashy stone or brimstone. All of these little details emerge with terrific sharpness in an epic vintage such as 2021. Fruit comes from a seven-hectare plot at 400 to 480 meters in elevation on Sant'Agata marl soils with marine fossils." 01/25

97pts Wine Spectator

 Wine Spectator HOT WINE: "This red is rich and succulent, displaying cherry, raspberry, earth, leather and eucalyptus flavors. A mineral note emerges as this builds to the long, red fruit– and rose hip–stained finish..

97pts points James Suckling 

The 2021 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is a wine of stature and breeding. Vertical in shape, the Bricco delle Viole has so much to offer. Dark-toned fruit, leather, incense, gravel and licorice add an attractive savory edge. The 2021 is an especially somber, potent Bricco delle Viole. I would not dream of touching a bottle anytime soon.

96pts Vinous

The 2020 Barolo Bricco delle Viole, Vajra's flagship, is very fine. Dark cherry, kirsch, blood orange, spice and lavender are nicely amplified. The 2020 is gracious and elegant, but its youthful Nebbiolo tannins will require some time to soften. The 2020 is another wine that captures my keen interests with its sublime balance. I would be thrilled to own it.

96pts Wine Enthusiast

G D Vajra 2020 Bricco delle Viole (Barolo). The nose of this Barolo is exhilarating, with spiced cherries and damson plums alongside warmed violets in blossom. Notes of leather, truffle and forest floor add depth that keeps flowing from the glass. The palate is a panoply of cherries in all their glory: fresh, macerated, preserved, you name it, it is there. Accompanied by sweet tea with cola and sassafras that lead to supple tannins that provide needed structure without overpowering the wine. Lifted acidity keeps each sip pure and fresh, making the bottle empty too soon.

Winemaker Notes

Ruby red with garnet reflections. On the nose, 2020 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is beautifully layered: violet flowers, marasca cherries, candies and wet stones all grace this effusive and evocative Barolo. The palate reveals the signature verticality of Bricco delle Viole combined with an incredible complexity, and expands with velvety tannins and a profound finish.

Blend: 100% Nebbiolo

Winery Notes

The Vajra family has farmed Bricco delle Viole, the highest cru in Comune di Barolo, since the 1880s. At the young age of fifteen, Aldo Vajra embraced the dream to revive his family legacy. Displaying a vision and commitment belying his young age he took over the estate in 1968, turning a new page.

Aldo soon acquired the first organic certification of the region (1971), created private biotype selections (selezioni massali) of Nebbiolo and Dolcetto, pioneered the renaissance of Freisa, a noble yet forgotten local grape (1980) and the cultivation of Rhine Riesling in Piemonte (1985).