2021 G.D. Vajra, Barolo, Albe

G. D. Vajra makes pure, precise, elegant wines. At the heart of the G.D. Vajra winery lies the thoughtful and deliberate approach of Giuseppe Vajra and his family, who are among this historic region’s greatest and most thoughtful ambassadors. Rather than adhering strictly to "modern" or "traditional" labels, their philosophy is best described as pragmatic and extremely detailed, allowing their special terroirs to shape and define their wines more than anything they do in the cellar. They are pioneers in organic farming, having embraced these practices since the early 1970s. In the cellar, there is an emphasis on gentle extraction and less invasive fermentation and ageing. They carefully ferment in stainless steel, allowing the pure fruit expression to shine through. Long maceration times are common, but these are carefully managed to avoid over-extraction, and the use of large Slavonian oak casks (botti) for aging ensure that the wines develop complexity without being dominated by wood. Their entry-level, Barolo Albe cuvee is one of Piedmont’s greatest values. "Albe" translates to "sunrises" in Italian. This playful name was given to this wine because it is a blend of grapes from three distinct vineyards situated at varying altitudes above the village of Barolo, each experiencing the sunrise at different times. As always, Albe is refined yet approachable, and the ‘21 is one of the best examples of this cuvée we've ever tasted. Fresh red fruits with some earthy elements and a slight piney note. Attack is sweet with buoyant, ripe fruit with well-integrated, pronounced tannins - perhaps more structure and stuffing than I can ever recall and the longest finish and most depth I've ever encountered. So harmonious and supple - a joy now with some food but a wine that you should buy in quantity and put some away as the value here is off the charts. A no brainer wine that is well worth its modest price tag.