2020 G.D. Vajra Barolo Ravera

I am intrigued by Ravera’s indomitable personality. It is crisp like the sound of a Telecaster, straight and electric. – Giuseppe Vaira

Ravera is recognized as the most important single vineyard in Comune di Novello. It grows on a very complex underground where marls of Tortonian origin mix with sandstones and clays of the Serravallian period. Our parcels are located in the southern amphitheater, between 320 and 340 meters asl. 100% Nebbiolo. Comune di Ravera.

In 2020, Ravera was harvested over two days, on October 5th and 6th. Grapes were sorted manually three times: directly on the vine, as whole clusters on the sorting tables, and lastly as single berries. Vinification was carried in vertical tini, with gentle punch-downs and rinsing of the cap and lasted 55 days, including a submerged cap maceration. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation occurred in the following Spring. The wine was aged for 28 months in large Slavonian casks of 25 and 50 hectolitres. Bottled on July 11th 2023.

Brilliant ruby red colour. The nose of the 2020 Barolo Ravera reveals red orange peel, dried flowers, kirsch and menthol notes. The wine is profound and complex, with the signature juiciness of the site and tremendous aging potential. – Vajra

Three different picks at different altitudes. A site towards Monforte that is relied upon to yield the power of Monforte and the elegance of Barolo. Clay and silt. To be released mid 2024. Powerful and muscular. Lots of tannin. Needs time! 17++/20. Jancis Robinson Jan 2024

Blood orange, savory plum and clove characters with a touch of haw fruit and white pepper. Close-knit, chalky tannins on the palate with a structured full body and a zesty, tense finish. Long, complex, austere and expansive. 95 points. Zekun Shuai, JamesSuckling.com Feb 2024

The 2020 Barolo Ravera is a gorgeous, aromatically exotic wine that is going to need time to be at its best. Orange peel, spice, menthol and kirsch all list from the glass, conveying a good deal of ethereal Nebbiolo beauty before the tannins kick in. There’s a gorgeous weight and substance here, in the mid-weight style of the year. More than anything else, I admire the balance. 94+ points. Antonio Galloni, Vinous Nov 2023

Cherry, plum, menthol and mint, kind of earthy too. It’s a bold wine, a lot of earth and rugged tannic impact, something of bold offering, black tea and orange peel, chalky tannin grip, with a bright acidity, and a sweet core of fruit, and a very firm finish of very good length. It’ll be interesting to see how this wine lands with considered bottle age, either way, it’s not a wine for now. 94 points. Gary Walsh, The Winefront May 2024