Barolo Bricco delle Viole (Vajra) 1997
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Italy |
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Release Notes:
Aldo Vaira is a quiet man with enormous competence in wine making and with a big ambition. The last time we visited him in Barolo, he was tripling the capacity of his winery and building a state-of-the-art winery. He also took us to look at new vineyards he just acquired in the Barolo region. The hills of his new vineyards are extremely steep but very well exposed. He certainly will grow good wine there but the work in the vineyard will be very hard!
The Wine Messenger is very fortunate to have many of the wines of Aldo for sale… you will enjoy them through the winter. They all have delicious fruit expressions… and this is his secret. We also got a small allocation of his delicious 1997 Barolo vintage. His Barolo vineyards are just outside of the village of Barolo on a little hill called in Piemontese "Bricco delle Viole". The Nebbiolo was totally ripe in 1997; an exceptional year in Italy. When we received this wine in March 2002, the wine was closed and dense. It has now opened up and like most big wines, needs to be open an hour in advance or, even better, to be decanted. You will be impressed by the aromatics of this wine, all in finesse while the wine itself is a powerful beast. It goes so well with big northern Italian dishes such as stracotto, osso-bucco, and coniglio (rabbit). Please note the relatively modest price of this excellent Barolo 1997 while most sell up to $120 bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Dense ruby/purple color. Complex nose of blackberry, cherries, cedar, dried herbs and vanillin. Medium-bodied with an unctuous texture filled with delicious fruit extracts. Good tannins, but not overwhelming since fruit dominates. High glycerin level; quite balanced; limited acidity and no hard edges. Secondary flavors of tobacco and leather, and a finish on fruit of 45 seconds. Cellarable for 10 years and drinkable until 2015. Overall a big wine to enjoy with big dishes such as wild boar, venison, roasts in heavy sauces, etc... remember to decant.
Country:
Overview
Greek settlers first planted vineyards in Italy sometime around 800BC. Since then, wine has been entrenched in the Italian culture, ‘as common as water on the dinner table’. ... Read more
