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.

Lustrous, concentrated mid ruby. Deeper and a little richer than the Coste di Rose and multi-layered and complex on the nose. The palate is packed with sour cherry and ripe raspberry on a layer of finely ground tannins. Great balance and depth on the finish but still embryonic. (WS)