G.D. Vajra Nebbiolo 2025

G.D. Vajra Nebbiolo is a Langhe red from the family winery run by Aldo Vajra in the town of Barolo, in the Langhe hills of Piedmont. The estate dates to 1972, when Giuseppe Domenico Vajra began working the family vineyards, and those same plots still supply the fruit. The wine is made entirely from Nebbiolo, the great grape of the region, here in its approachable Langhe form rather than the longer-aged Barolo. The Langhe hills are built on calcareous marl, a soil that gives Nebbiolo its perfume, high acidity and fine tannin, while the altitude and cool Alpine nights bring a wide diurnal range that preserves aromatics and freshness. After a traditional vinification the wine ages fourteen months in barrel, which softens the variety's naturally firm tannin through slow oxygen exchange while keeping the fruit clear. Nebbiolo is pale by nature, so the colour is a translucent garnet red. The nose is perfumed, with red cherry, raspberry, rose petal, dried herbs and a touch of liquorice. The palate is medium bodied but structured, with bright acidity, fine, gripping tannin and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees. It pairs well with roast duck, game and mushroom dishes.