2020 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole | 98 Point Flagship Barolo

🔥 98 Point Flagship Barolo | One of G.D. Vajra's Greatest Wines

Vines dating to 1931. Barolo's highest historic vineyard. 57-day maceration. An extraordinary expression of Nebbiolo.

The pinnacle of the G.D. Vajra range — perfume, power, minerality and breathtaking finesse

98 Points – Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points – JamesSuckling.com | 96 Points – Vinous | 96 Points – Wine Enthusiast | 95 Points – Decanter | 95 Points – The Wine Advocate | 95 Points – Kerin O'Keefe

Flagship Single-Vineyard Barolo | Perfume, Precision & Extraordinary Finesse

“The complete Vajra Barolo — old vines, extreme altitude, extraordinary perfume and chiselled tannins combining in a wine of remarkable depth without weight.”

Critical Acclaim – 2020 Vintage

• 98 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
• 96 Points – JamesSuckling.com
• 96 Points – Vinous
• 96 Points – Wine Enthusiast
• 96 Points – Wine Spectator
• 95 Points – Decanter
• 95 Points – The Wine Advocate
• 95 Points – Kerin O'Keefe
• 18/20 – Jancis Robinson

That's an extraordinary wall of critical acclaim.

Jeb Dunnuck called the 2020 one of the most complete wines he had tasted from Vajra, awarding it 98 points and highlighting its combination of concentration, velvety texture and an almost weightless quality.

Bricco delle Viole – The Flagship of G.D. Vajra

This is the vineyard at the heart of G.D. Vajra.

Bricco delle Viole.

Literally:

“Hill of Violets.”

Vajra describes it as one of Barolo's historic vineyards and the highest and closest to the Alps, rising from approximately:

400–480 metres above sea level.

Sitting on the western ridge of the village of Barolo, its south-facing slopes enjoy an extraordinary amount of sunlight, with early sunrise and late sunset combined with dramatic day-night temperature variation.

And the vines?

Some date back to:

1931.

That's serious old-vine Nebbiolo.

A Barolo Defined by Altitude

Bricco delle Viole has a personality all its own.

The elevation and dramatic diurnal temperature variation help preserve the perfume and freshness of Nebbiolo even as the grapes reach full maturity.

The result is a wine defined by:

Violet

Dried Rose

Cherry & Kirsch

Blood Orange

Herbs & Sage

Minerality

White Pepper

Wild Raspberry

This isn't Barolo built around sheer muscle.

It's about aromatic intensity, energy and finesse.

Vajra itself describes Bricco delle Viole as producing profound Barolo with bright aromatics, chiselled tannins and subtle minerality.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Luminous ruby-garnet with remarkable clarity and the transparent beauty of mature-vine Nebbiolo.

Aroma: Extraordinary perfume. Violet, dried rose, kirsch and wild raspberry emerge first, followed by blood orange, sweet herbs, tea leaf, white pepper, lavender and subtle mineral notes.

Palate: Concentrated yet almost weightless. Cherry and raspberry fruit is carried by vibrant acidity and beautifully chiselled Nebbiolo tannins. There's serious structure underneath, but everything feels precise, elegant and extraordinarily composed.

Finish: Exceptionally long and detailed, with cherry, wild berries, flowers, citrus and mineral notes continuing long after the wine leaves the palate. Vajra's own description emphasises the wine's finesse, youthful tannins and very long ageing potential.

57 Days on Skins

This is proper Barolo winemaking.

The fruit was harvested across three separate picking days in October 2020.

Then came an extraordinary level of selection:

First — manually in the vineyard

Second — whole bunches on the sorting table

Third — individual berries after destemming.

Fermentation took place traditionally in Vajra's custom-designed vertical vats with gentle extraction.

Then came:

57 DAYS OF MACERATION

under submerged cap.

That's serious traditional Nebbiolo territory.

And maturation?

28 Months in Large Slavonian Oak Casks

of 25 and 50 hectolitres.

No attempt to bury this extraordinary vineyard beneath small new-oak barrels.

It's about:

Nebbiolo. Vineyard. Time.

2020 – A Remarkable Barolo Vintage

G.D. Vajra describes 2020 as one of the longest growing seasons of the decade.

Despite early budbreak, the season slowed through spring and summer, ultimately resulting in a late harvest and a vegetative cycle estimated at around:

213 days.

The domaine identifies great aromatics, varietal authenticity and gorgeous tannins as the signatures of the vintage.

And Bricco delle Viole seems to have captured those qualities perfectly.

Antonio Galloni awarded it 96 points, highlighting dark cherry, kirsch, blood orange, spice and lavender while praising its sublime balance. James Suckling also awarded 96, finding power and vertical structure wrapped around fine mineral tannins.

The G.D. Vajra Flagship

This is an important distinction.

Albe is the extraordinary-value introduction to Vajra Barolo.

Coste di Rose gives you perfume, sand and silky elegance.

Ravera gives you structure, iron and mineral power.

But:

Bricco delle Viole is the flagship.

Vinous explicitly identifies it as Vajra's flagship Barolo.

And when you taste it, you understand why.

It has the perfume of Coste di Rose.

The structure and energy of Ravera.

But there's another dimension here:

Completeness.

That's precisely what Jeb Dunnuck picked up when awarding it 98 points.

A Wine Built for Decades

Don't be fooled by the perfume and elegance.

This is serious cellar Barolo.

Wine Spectator recommends 2027–2048, while Jeb Dunnuck expects the wine to age slowly over the next two to three decades.

I'd happily cellar this for:

15–25+ years.

If you're opening one now, give it plenty of air and a large glass.

But if you only have one bottle?

Cellar it.

Food Pairings

• Tajarin with white truffle
• Brasato al Barolo
• Porcini mushroom risotto
• Roast duck
• Slow-braised beef cheek
• Osso Buco
• Venison
• Truffle pasta
• Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Mature hard cheeses

Why We Love It

This is the wine that brings the entire Vajra story together.

Look at what you're getting:

100% Nebbiolo

Bricco delle Viole MGA

400–480 metres elevation

One of Barolo's highest historic vineyards

Vines dating back to 1931

Triple-sorted fruit

57-day maceration

28 months in large Slavonian oak

98 Points – Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points – James Suckling

96 Points – Vinous

96 Points – Wine Enthusiast

96 Points – Wine Spectator

95 Points – Decanter

95 Points – Wine Advocate

95 Points – Kerin O'Keefe

And your RRP?

$199.

For a 98-point flagship Barolo from historic vines dating back to 1931, that's exceptional.

This is the bottle I'd put at the top of the Vajra range on the Liquid Vibe site.

Not simply because it has the highest score.

Because it has everything.

The vineyard.

The old vines.

The altitude.

The traditional winemaking.

The perfume.

The structure.

The critical acclaim.

And decades of life ahead.

Perfumed. Profound. Mineral. Weightless. Complete.

The 2020 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole is one of the great wines of the Vajra estate and a beautiful demonstration of what elite Barolo can achieve: enormous depth without heaviness and serious structure without sacrificing elegance.

98 Jeb Dunnuck. 96 James Suckling. 96 Vinous. Vines Dating to 1931. $199 RRP.

👉 At $199, this is one of the standout buys in the entire Vajra collection — a genuine flagship Barolo that belongs in any serious Piedmont cellar.