2020 Barolo, Ravera, G.D. Vajra, Piedmont, Italy
- Red
- Dry
- Full Bodied
- Nebbiolo
Not ready
- Jancis Robinson MW
- 17++/20
- Antonio Galloni
- 94+/100
- Kerin O'Keefe
- 95/100
- Shuai Zekun
- 95/100
- Monica Larner
- 96/100
Product: 20208205793
Description
The commune of Novello lies at the south end of the Tortonian valley, but also on the junction with the valley to Monforte d’Alba. Its geology is complex and unusual: layers of exploded limestone, but with clay, manganese and iron oxide. The latter is responsible for what Giuseppe likes to compare to a character analogous to distorted electric guitar – powerful and accentuated, yet with detectable harmony. The wine had 55 days on skins, and 28 months in botti. The mid-palate is robust, with the style of 2020 providing a plumped, fruity cushion of sweet red fruit.
Drink 2027 - 2042
Mark Pardoe, Wine Director, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2020
Maturity Not ready
Grape List Nebbiolo
Body Full Bodied
Producer G. D. Vajra
Critics reviews
Jancis Robinson MW 17++/20
Three different picks at different altitudes. A site towards Monforte that is relied upon to yield the power of Monforte and the elegance of Barolo. Clay and silt. To be released mid 2024.Powerful and muscular. Lots of tannin. Needs time!Drink 2026 - 2038jancis_robinson_mw MW, JancisRobinson.com (November 2023)
Drink 2026 - 2038
Antonio Galloni 94+/100
The 2020 Barolo Ravera is a gorgeous, aromatically exotic wine that is going to need time to be at its best. Orange peel, spice, menthol and kirsch all lift from the glass, conveying a good deal of ethereal Nebbiolo beauty before the tannins kick in. There's gorgeous weight and substance here, in the mid-weight style of the year. More than anything else, I admire the balance. There’s plenty to like in these new releases from the Vajra family. Starting with the 2020 Barolos, the wines are gracious and finely sketched, with the personality of each wine clearly defined. The Bricco delle Viole is especially sublime and well worth seeking out. As always, the Barolos offer a compelling mix of classicism and contemporary finesse. The entry-level offerings are a bit mixed this year, largely a reflection of the challenging 2022 harvest. Readers will find several new wines made from nearly extinct varieties that show plenty of intrigue and that are sure to enrich this range going forward.Drink 2025 - 2035antonio_galloni, Vinous.com.com (November 2023)
Drink 2026 - 2038
Kerin O'Keefe 95/100
The 2020 Ravera from G.D. Vajra is taut and savory, featuring aromas and flavors of juicy wild strawberry, cherry, forest floor, blood orange and star anise. A salty note signals the close while close-grained tannins grip the close. Give this a few more years to fully develop.Drink 2028 - 2035Kerin O'Keefe, KerinOKeefe.com (February 2024)
Drink 2026 - 2038
Shuai Zekun 95/100
Blood orange, savory plum and clove characters with a touch of haw fruit and white pepper. Close-knit, chalky tannins on the palate with a structured full body and a zesty, tense finish. Long, complex, austere and expansive.Better from 2026shuai_zekun, jamessuckling_com (February 2024)
Drink 2026 - 2038
Monica Larner 96/100
The G.D. Vajra 2020 Barolo Ravera reveals wild forest berry, cherry, licorice root and sweet summer fruit. The effect is focused or chiseled thanks to animating acidity and pinpoint fruit flavors. Located in the village of Novello, Ravera benefits from open panoramas and cooler temperatures from the mountains. These factors make this cru one of the most promising in this era of climate change. This is a Barolo for the purists.Drink 2026 - 2045monica_larner, Wine Advocate (April 2024)
Drink 2026 - 2038
About this wine
Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo is the grape behind the Barolo and Barbaresco wines and is hardly ever seen outside the confines of Piedmont. It takes its name from "nebbia" which is Italian for fog, a frequent phenomenon in the region.
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G. D. Vajra
Based in Vergne, the highest village in the commune of Barolo, GD Vajra is a relatively young estate. It was established by Aldo Vajra in 1972, when he was just 16. His father had planted vineyards in 1947 but called Aldo “mad” when he followed his childhood dream to become a winemaker. Taking over the family estate in 1968, he became one of the early pioneers of organic farming, and in 1971 the estate became one of the first in Piedmont to be organically certified. Until now, Vajra’s wines have somewhat flown under the radar, but it’s with good reason that the estate has been described as “one of Piedmont’s best kept secrets… with sublime hand-crafted, artisan wines of the very highest level”.
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Registered company 05492886. BB&R Limited, trading as Berry Bros. & Rudd, 3 St James's Street, London, SW1A 1EG. All rights reserved. You must be 18 or over to order. Calls may be recorded.