G.D. Vajra Barolo Coste di Rose 2017

“The 2017 Barolo Coste di Rose is pretty, supple and inviting. Some of the tannins need to resolve, but this is a young Barolo after all. The Coste di Rose doesn’t have the sensuality of the Albe or the pedigree of the Viole, but it nevertheless has so much to give. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, mint, crushed rocks and sage are some of the many notes that linger. I won’t be surprised if the 2017 is even better than this note suggests once it softens a bit. Drinking window: 2025-2042. 93 points

The Vajra family produced a bevy of stellar wines from both their estates, G.D. Vajra in Barolo and Baudana in Serralunga. The 2017s are deep, fleshy and impeccably balanced. All of the 2017s were fermented in steel, where they spent 50-60 days on the skins, including submerged cap maceration at the end. Aging was done mostly in cask, with some smaller neutral oak barrels.

“Most of our work in the vineyard is done by June,” Aldo Vajra told me. “What vines don’t like are sudden changes, so we try to do most of our work early. It’s not just the heat that is an issue, but also direct sunlight on the berries. In 2017 we left a little more fruit on the vine in order to maintain freshness and delay harvest as much as possible.””

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (02/21)