Vajra Barolo Ravera 2018

This Barolo, crafted by the brilliant Aldo Vajra, is a delightful wine marked by pristine flavour and well-defined perfume. These characteristics are the product of the vineyards' location at 400m above sea level in the village of Vergne within the Barolo commune. It is a wine of deceptive power, with drive and vibrant energy as well as just a hint of salinity on the finish. 

94/100 - Seamlessly stitched together, the G.D. Vajra 2018 Barolo Ravera reveals tight layering and smooth texture. Fruit comes from an amphitheater of vines with Tortoniana epoch sandstone clay that is typical of parts of Barolo and Novello. What stands out here is the mineral character of the wine. It frames a dark core of plum, dark cherry and soft spice. - Monica Larner, Wine Advocate

93/100 - The 2018 Barolo Ravera is a powerful, tightly wound wine. Gravel, smoke, cured meats, spice, leather, tobacco and menthol emerge, but only with quite a bit of reticence. This deceptively mid-weight Barolo has a good bit of brawn. It will be interesting to see if the fruit emerges from behind the tannins. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous 

18++/20 - Lustrous mid ruby. Subtle, fragrant and concentrated and with fantastic depth and earthy minerally notes. Cherry and raspberry fruit with a hint of damson. Richly tannic adding chew to the juicy elegant fruit. On the finish, quite a bit of tannins that still need to integrate into the very long fruit finish. Compact and pithy. - Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com

93/100 - Rich, ripe mixed berries and perfumed bark on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with some lightly firm tannin giving support to the fruit. Lacks the complexity of recent vintages, but has a promising core. Give it a while to broaden out. Try from 2024. - James Suckling