The 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole offers a beguiling combination of depth and energy. Dark and potent in the glass, yet also quite reticent, the 2019 is going to take a number of years to come around. Black cherry, graphite, crushed rocks, mint, sage and incense all open in the glass, but only with quite a bit of reticence. I especially like the way the 2019 opens up on its resonant, expansive finish, but it remains a decidedly brooding Barolo whose best days are far off in the future. Jan 2023

The last wine poured at my tasting at the winery is the G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole. With its high vantage point in the hills west of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is a world apart in terms of soils (with Sant'Agata marl and fossils) and even harvest times. Slow and careful ripening like the kind that characterizes fruit in 2019 renders a very delicate and ethereal expression with floral tones, wild mint and licorice. This organic wine is solid in build and structure. Indeed, Isidoro Vaira remarks that Nebbiolo tannins have changed since the 1970s and 1980s. Because of climate change and stylistic preference, they are more polished and accessible today.

The G.D. Vajra 2019 Bricco delle Viole is drop-dead gorgeous. Hailing from vines planted in 1931 and 1949 and planted 400 to 480 meters above sea level, it opens with enticing aromas of fragrant purple flower, camphor, forest floor and spice. Showing great energy and precision, the youthfully intense palate delivers juicy red cherry, blood orange, licorice and crushed mint underscored by a mineral vein recalling saline. Tight, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity give provide the firm structure and promise great longevity. Drink 2029–2049. Abv: 14% Kerin O’Keefe February 2023 ©kerinokeefe.com.com

Barolo. Concentrated mid ruby. Complex and a little brooding on the nose. Fragrant and with the same lightness of touch as their Coste di Rose of the same vintage – if with more depth and more fruit concentration – and finely ground, supporting tannins. Closes up and needs more time in the bottle. (WS)