Freisa, Freisa, Freisa . . . G.D. Vajra Kye` 2011

It all started here, with the G.D. Vajra Langhe Rosso Freisa "Kye`".  I had the choice between two producers from Barolo to be the first wines in my portfolio and I was agonizing over the choice.

Should I go with the one that I had already met in Italy and tasted all of their wines (shall remain nameless) or should I go with the one that I had just talked with over the phone and had only tasted their Barolo. (G.D. Vajra)

What to do?  What to do?

I asked an old friend of mine in the business what he thought I should choose.  He is well known and has been around a long time and has a great palate so I was ready to listen . . . and he told me that he had recently been in New York and had tasted an older bottling, like 1995 or something, of the G.D. Vajra Freisa and how it had blown everyone at the table away.  That it was by far one of the most memorable wines he had tasted in awhile.  And that G.D. Vajra would be his choice.

And so it became my choice.

Now, five plus years later, after many vintages of Freisa under my belt, here is the newly arrived 2011 G.D. Vajra Langhe Freisa "Kye`".

Call or email me for your chance to taste the Freisa.

"In 2011 Freisa Kyè is surprisingly laid back and refined, with far less of the pure intensity and explosiveness it typically presents. Varietal notes are also a bit more in the background, at least today. Sweet herbs, mint, rose petal and orange peel are some of the notes that mark an especially elegant Kyè from the Vajra family." -- Antonio Galloni - Vinous

If you have never had a dry, savory Freisa of the first order, this is your chance.

Pre-Harvest G.D. Vajra walking in the vineyards

Ready or not ready?  Looks like lots of variation in the bunches.

Aldo and Giuseppe Vaira

Riesling or Moscato

Aldo Vaira

Sinio- Roddino e Novello

Giuseppe, looking very Roman.

Aldo checking the grapes out.

Giuseppe working hard to get up those steep slopes.

What do you think?  Dolcetto?

Son and father, Aldo.

Just about ready.

Vajra's harvest: Fact Sheet- Barbera d'Alba DOC SUPERIORE

Fact Sheet- Barbera d'Alba DOC SUPERIORE

The Wine


Designation: Barbera d'Alba DOC
Wine type: red dry wine
Variety: Barbera 100%
Bottle size: 750 mL


The Vineyard

An expression of the terroir, our Barbera comes from an exceptional vineyard. Bricco delle Viole is in the Comune of Barolo, our oldest vineyard and a great Barolo cru, with soils rich in magnesium and manganese and very low in iron. Back in the days, farmers used to plant multiple varieties in each hillside. So called progress drove most of the people to focus on one variety per block. Here, we preserve a small piece of history by saving these old vines.

The Farming


Farming: sustainable
Pruning: Guyot mixed system
Ground: natural turfing
Irrigation: no
Green harvest: yes, according to vigor and climate of the season


The Harvest


Harvest: secon half of September to first decade of October
Picking: by hand
Sorting: manual


The Vinification


Vinification: 20-day maceration at free temperature < 32°C.
Method: traditional, punch-down
M.L.F.: during first year of ageing
Ageing: 20-24 months in Slavonian oak casks








TASTING NOTES 2007:

A violet red color followed by great concentration in the nose and mouth classify this 2007 Barbera vintage. Dark fruits, dried herbs, flowers, and liquorice easily coalesce into light mineral notes. Our 2007 vintage Barbera Superiore has a richness and depth that lasts all the way from the nose to the tremendous finish.

“Una Barbera che baroleggia”. This was said to express a terroir driven Barbera with structure and complexity. Somehow, a Barbera that tasted like a Barolo. That’s what we ask to our Superiore: to give us as many facets and emotions of our Barolos, with all the crisp character of its variety.

Vajra's harvest: The King in his kingdom

Vajra's harvest: The King in his kingdom

Fact Sheet- Barbera d'Alba DOC

The Wine


Designation: Barbera d'Alba DOC
Wine type: red dry wine
Variety: Barbera 100%
Bottle size: 750 mL


The Vineyard

This Barbera is a harmony of six vineyards expressing both the ancient Helvetian and Tortonian soil types of the Piemonte. The vines planted in calcareous soils (Tortonian soil type) produce much more delicate, aromatic wines with bright acidity and tones of wild berries. These are characterised by the sweetness in the mouth and their smooth texture. Helvetian soils offer instead wines full of perfumes of ripe black fruits that differ for their soothing aromas, bold tannic structure and minerality. These characteristics, mixed with a soil high in iron develops a wine with a fleshy richness.

The Farming


Farming: sustainable
Pruning: Guyot mixed system
Ground: natural turfing
Irrigation: no
Green harvest: yes, according to vigor and climate of the season


The Harvest


Harvest: second half of September, but this year we will start during the second week of September
Picking: by hand
Sorting: manual


The Vinification


Vinification: 15-day long fermentation at free temperature <31°C.
Method: traditional, with punch-down
M.L.F.: following alcoholic fermentation
Ageing: 14-16 months in French and Slavonian oak casks

Bottling according to evolution and moon cycle, usually at the beginning of the summer of the second year after harvest.

TASTING NOTES 2009: A violet red color alludes to the sweet, dark fruits which make for a distinctive fragrance and rarefied elegance. The powerful nose leads to a rich, concentrated and smooth mouth. The black fruits melt into mineral and graphite notes, leaving a sublime finish. We classify the Barbera as rich and long-lasting, yet intriguing and complex.

Vajra's harvest: Picking

Vajra's harvest: Picking