GD Vajra's Bricco delle Viole: Tasting 2004-2014

Michaela Morris tastes the last decade of Bricco delle Viole vintages from acclaimed Barolo producer GD Vajra...

I first met Aldo Vaira (note that the family surname is spelt with an i; the estate with a j) when he was presenting GD Vajra’s Kyé, made from local variety Freisa, to a group of international sommeliers.

His daughter Francesca was nestled up close to him, softly translating their comments into Italian. I was moved by this display of familial intimacy.

Subsequent encounters have only reinforced the impression of a tight-knit family. My last visit was during the 2017 harvest for a rare vertical of their Bricco delle Viole Barolo.

{"content":"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"}