Vajra Langhe Rosso 2009

It is most likely you've seen the name Vajra in conjunction with their most applauded wine - Vajra Bricco delle Viole Barolo. It is adored and cherished by many a collector. We have loved them for their dolcetto and now we find we love them even more since they decided to make their elegant, easy drinking and lovely rosso.

The Langhe Rosso from Vajra is a blend of several local indigenous varieties and one tiny little injection of an experiement.  That is to say, the majority of the blend is nebbiolo, dolcetto, barbera, freisa and a touch of, yes, the experiement - pinot noir. What it makes though is a wine with a perfumed, rosey nose with some bright red fruits. The blend makes a lovely velvety mouthfeel and the flavors are complex, but the juice is simple, fruity and round. Boisterous almost. Yummy for sure.

Maybe Italian is not what you were thinking for Thanksgiving, but it's a great match for Turkey and a definite pairing for snacks and cheese.  

Vajra Rosso  $17 a bottle

meet the winemaker

Aldo Vajra
The winery was established in 1972, but the Vajra family dates back over two centuries in the Barolo region. Aldo was a 'city guy' from Torino, and then returned as a young man to the farm and fell in love with life there. To say it was a challenge to start a winery in the early 70s is an understatement, Aldo's family and friends could not fathom his decision to go back as many locals were doing the exact opposite. Early on, Aldo made his living as a professor of oenology in Alba during the day, and working in the vineyards and on the winery during afternoons and nights.

The estate has incredible vineyard holdings in Coste de Vergne, Fossati, La Volta and the jewel of the estate - 65 year old vines in Bricco delle Viole planted by Aldo's grandfather. Vajra wines are traditionally driven with longer macerations and use primarily Slavonian casks for aging, but Aldo does not use 'traditional' to describe his style. Aldo would rather make decisions based on the vintage and what the grapes that year deliver than do the same exact thing year after year, be it right or wrong. The wines do, however, have a consistant theme of elegance and beauty and the Vajra's are well known for their outstanding Barolos. Today Giuseppe and Isadoro, Aldo's sons, are involved in the winemaking and vineyard management with their father.
www.barolodibarolo.com