Chilled Langhe Nebbiolo another Wine Advocate Top Discovery
What a cool warm-weather wine this is. The highly original G.D. Vajra Claré J.C. Langhe Nebbiolo – like all original things these days, it’s inspired by the past, of course – has been included in The Wine Advocate‘s Top 100 Wine Discoveries 2020.
This unique wine was first produced in 2014, and this 2019 wine is a cracker. A fifth of the Nebbiolo fruit was gently placed as whole clusters at the bottom of the vat, and topped up with crushed juice. After five days, the wine was racked into a closed tank to finish fermentation off the skins, for a more gentle extraction.
The result is a fruity wine with bold character and those Nebbiolo tannins really pared back. “You’ll love the vibrant, tonic and lively fruit that pops from the glass with focused intensity,” said critic Monica Larner. “I am absolutely smitten.”
2019 G.D. Vajra Claré J.C. Langhe Nebbiolo $49
Although this wine has been produced since 2014, it is a new discovery to me—and a terrific one at that. I’ll start off with the beautiful graphics on the label that were inspired by the winemaking protocols penned in 1606 by Gian Battista Croce, a jeweler for the House of Savoia who dabbled in wine. The G.D. Vajra 2019 Langhe Nebbiolo Claré J.C. is a pure expression of Nebbiolo, with about one-fifth whole-cluster fermentation. Following suggestions to serve the wine slightly chilled, I tasted my sample at 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and I would recommend the same to you. This wine offers an innovative and playful look at the normally austere, long-term Nebbiolo grape. In fact, this Langhe Nebbiolo borrows from Beaujolais. You’ll love the vibrant, tonic and lively fruit that pops from the glass with focused intensity. The palate is lean and crisp. Some 12,000 bottles were released in March 2020, and that price point is unbeatable. I am absolutely smitten.
92 points. Monica Larner, Wine Advocate