Italian Rosato for Summer!

​As the title says, this 100 Sangiovese saw just a "few hours" maceration on the skins.  It is fresh and bright and made from certified organic grapes by Vittorio Navacchia and family.  Vittorio is here in town this week so ask me if you want us to come by and taste it with you.  And it is so inexpensive!

This has rapidly become our best selling rosato in just its second vintage back on the market after a long hiatus.  Crunchy is the new word for this type of ultr-light but flavorful rose`.  Or as the Italians say, "Crispy!".  The GD Vajra wines are still getting better every year and we are so happy that they are part of our family.

​

​The Rosacherosanonsei Rosato from Favaro is a perennial favorite.  This one is no exception.  Nebbiolo rosato with a few other grapes thrown in, this is a rose` de saignee that is produced in miniscule quantities.  So little in fact that you can't find it anywhere else in the United States but through Rinascimento Wine Company.

Dinner with Francesca Vaira of G.D. Vajra at Officine Brera - Thursday, September 15th

Come meet Francesca Vaira of G.D. Vajra and Luigi Baudana from Piemonte, Italy and eat some great food from renowned chef Angelo Auriana at Officine Brera in DTLA. 

MENU

PASSED APPETIZER

merluzzo smoked salted water codfish, white endive, young onion, parsley oil

lardo cured crispy polenta, pork back fat, chestnut honey, pink peppercorn 

farinata chickpea flower, garda olive oil, cracked pepper

G.D. Vajra NV Metodo Classico Rose`, “N.S. Della Neve” 

FIRST COURSE

pisarei e fasö house-made bread dumplings, borlotti beans, cured pork, reggiano

G.D. Vajra 2014 Langhe DOC, Riesling “Petracine” 

G.D. Vajra 2013 Dolcetto d'Alba DOC “Coste e Fossati” 

ENTRÉE

guanciola wood oven braised beef cheek, polenta taragna, foraged mushrooms

G.D. Vajra 2011 Barbera Superiore 

G.D. Vajra 2011 Barolo, Cru Bricco delle Viole DOCG

DESSERT 

assorted dessert platter

G.D. Vajra 2015 Moscato d'Asti DOCG 

$150 tax and tip included

1331 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021

officinebrera.com

(213) 553-8006

Thursday, September 15th

7 pm to 10 pm

Call for reservations!

Favaro ROS

"La vigna è a 400 mt su terreno ripido e con tanti sassi di granito."
The vineyard is at 1200 feet on steep terrain and with lots of stones of granite.

"La vinificazione è fatta in tonneaux aperto e macerato per 3 settimane. Solo follature delicate e nessun rimontaggio."
The vinification is in open topped wooden fermenters and macerated on the skins for three weeks.   only delicate punch downs and no pumpovers.

"Poi rimane 14 mesi in barrique di 3 o 4 passaggi, nessun travaso."
Then it remains 14 months in three or four year old barrels, no racking.

"Messo in bottiglia senza stabilizzazione e filtrazione."
Bottled without filtration and cold stabilization.

"Un vino dove cerco eleganza e purezza."
A wine where I am searching for elegance and purity.

"Spero piacerà anche in California!"
I hope they like it also in California!

300 bottles made 

Camillo Favaro

Waiting for the action to start at The Wine Country in Signal Hill

G.D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba 2010
G.D. Vajra Dolcetto d'Alba Coste & Fossati 2011
G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo 2010
G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe 2008
G.D.Vajra Moscato d'Asti 2011

G.D. Vajra review from the Wine Advocate from 1994 . . . .

I was reading through some old reviews on the Robert Parker website for G.D. Vajra and I found this one.

The first line is classic.

"Twenty years from now, long after this review has been forgotten, somebody will discover a bottle of this wine languishing in the corner of a dark, damp cellar and will be blown away by its quality."

and I like the last line, too.  I guess that has changed . . . . and here we are 20 years on (almost) and I would love to taste that wine . . . but there is none to be found.




1990 G D Vajra Barbera d'Alba Riserva Bricco Delle Viole
A Barbera Dry Red Table wine from
Barolo, Barbera d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy
Wine Advocate #95
Oct 1994 Robert Parker 94 Drink: 1999 - 2014
Twenty years from now, long after this review has been forgotten, somebody will discover a bottle of this wine languishing in the corner of a dark, damp cellar and will be blown away by its quality. This tiny producer has turned out a majestically rich, full-bodied, blockbuster Barbera that requires five more years of cellaring. It displays an opaque purple color, and intense, awesomely-concentrated flavors that need to be tasted to be believed. Clearly made from what must have been late-harvested grapes, it is remarkably rich, with low acidity, and sensational extract. With spectacular purity, richness, and full-bodied intensity, it should be a profound wine provided its purchasers have patience.

No known American importer.

Luigi Baudana winery and vineyards . . . .

I stole these images from the Luigi Baudana website that is still under construction.  But the photos are beautiful.

Looking towards Serralunga d'Alba

Baudana Vineyard

Baudana Vineyard from another angle

Baudana Vineyard from the top

Cerretta Vineyard

Cerretta Vineyard

Look at the arches.  I wonder how old this cellar is?

Aging in barrique and botte

In the fermentation part of the cellar

G.D. Vajra tasting at winery with Milena Vaira . . . .

I set up a couple of people from Califonria with a tasting and tour at G.D. Vajra winery and these are some of the photos they sent back.  If anyone is ever in Piedmont and wants to go, please feel free to email me to set up an appointment at G.D. Vajra.  You won't be disappointed.

Looking out towards the residence from the winery

Looking up the hill at vineyards

 A rare sighting.  2001 Barolo Bricco delle Viole in magnum

 I am out of the 2007 but getting more on the next shipment

The 2010 Langhe Bianco (100% Riesling) is tasting amazing right now.

 Milena Vaira 

G.D. Vajra in the Wine Spectator latest edition . . .

 For the savvy shopper, really, the only choice is the 2007 Barolo Albe from G.D. Vajra

And for you bargain hunters, the Langhe Nebbiolo 2009 could come in handy, too.

Top Value!  Value is always relative.  If it comes with a screw top and is in a gallon jug, it is a "Top Value" to some.  That is not this wine.  

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

2009 Harvest at Favaro, Piemonte

La Famiglia Favaro

Le Chiusure. Notice the trellising in the vineyard? Pergola Veronese (arched over the heads of the pickers like they do in Verona). This provides for more air to circulate around the bunches of grapes so there is less opportunity for fungus and rot.

Erbaluce grapes ready for harvest. Erbaluce literally translated means "grass of light".

Everything is done by hand at Azienda Agricola Favaro.

Benito and Camillo Favaro hard at work during harvest.