Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole 2018 (750ML)

95 WA / 95 KO / 95 WI / 95 WS / 95 DE / 93 JS / 93 VM / 17.5 JR

#9 Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2022

The 2018 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is not super intense, but it is balanced in its own way. The wine is subdued but complete with softly yielding tannins to support an elegantly streamlined mouthfeel. Bricco delle Viole is a high and cool growing site in Barolo at 400 to 480 meters in elevation with characteristic Sant'Agata marl soils with fossils. The wine represents a selection of fruit from over seven hectares. With fermentation in steel tank and aging in large Slavonian oak, you are invited to a silky, lifted and beautifully delicate experience with an accessible personality.-Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

Heady aromas of violet, camphor, leather and tobacco lead the way on this fragrant red. On the palate, tightly knit, fine-grained tannins accompany ripe Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry and licorice. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2025–2035.-Kerin O’Keefe

The name Bricco delle Viole means hilltop of violets and it is one of the highest vineyards in Barolo climbing from 400 to 480 meters above sea level. Thirty years ago, this may have been seen as a disadvantage but with climate change these higher elevation, cooler, fresher sites are much sought after. The 2018 G. D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole starts out with ripe strawberry notes and perfumed, violet aromas. It is round and smooth on the palate but not heavy. It reflects beautifully the vintage - a little lighter perhaps than some years but with plenty of tension and energy. It has a persistent core of bright, red fruit with some notes of fresh earth, all tied together by fine-textured but grippy tannins. Fragile yet powerful at the same time, it is very pure and beautiful. It is a wine that shines brightly.-Susan Hulme, The Wine Independent

An elegant version, this red features rose, black currant, cherry and mineral aromas and flavors that show a hint of eucalyptus. Linear in profile, this is solidly built on a graceful frame, with finely woven tannins and vibrant acidity. Best from 2026 through 2045.-Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator

The nervy style of Bricco delle Viole is excited by the lightness of the 2018 vintage. The nose is dominated by leafy lightness and vibrant aromas ranging from cherry kernel to lemon leaf. It could seem to have low complexity but its focused on a sort of austere freshness that's worth discovering. The firm palate with quite aggressive acidity and almost sturdy youth is allied to great fruit concentration. The savoury finish is loaded with dust and chalk. Needs time.-Aldo Fiordelli, Decanter

First day: Just mid ruby with the beginning of orange tinges. Concentrated and subtle at the same time with brooding concentration and beautiful depth. Bags of chewy tannins that make their mark on the still-embryonic fruit on the palate. Long, elegant, fresh and still to open up further. Second day: At first a little subdued but then opens up with aeration. Sweetly concentrated red fruit with a cool-climate edge. Fine and concentrated at the same time. Much more backward on the palate with a thick layer of firm yet polished tannins. Elegant filigree fruit on the finish. Definitely needs more time.-Walter Speller, JancisRobinson

Intense, flavorful Barolo that shows some good, nutty red-fruit character and fine, firm tannin. Medium-bodied and very tight. Needs time to even out. Try from 2024.-James Suckling

The 2018 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is finely cut and chiseled, as it so often is. Dried flowers, mint, crushed rocks, pine and red berry fruit all grace this taut, sculpted Barolo. The 2018 has all of the energy of this site, but its signatures are decidedly dialed down.-Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media