G.D. Vajra Dolcetto d’Alba 2024

G.D. Vajra Dolcetto d'Alba is a young red from Piedmont, made by the Vajra family from the Dolcetto grape in the DOC Dolcetto d'Alba. The estate sits in Vergne, in the highest part of the Barolo zone, where the Vajra family revived the family vineyards in 1972 and built a reputation for fresh, fragrant wines driven by altitude. That elevation is central to this wine, the cooler air slowing ripening and preserving the acidity and aromatic lift that Dolcetto can otherwise lose in warmer sites. Despite its name, which means little sweet one, Dolcetto makes a dry wine, deeply coloured with soft acidity and a gentle bitter almond grip on the finish. Following local tradition the wine sees no oak, so the fruit stays primary and fresh. The colour is dense purple. The nose offers black cherry, plum and violet, with a peppery edge. The palate is medium bodied and round, the low acidity making it approachable, closing on the typical almond bitterness that marks the grape. Serve at 14 to 16 degrees. It works with antipasti, pizza, mushroom risotto and roast pork.