Luigi Baudana "SERRALUNGA D'ALBA" Barolo
| Vintage: | 2019 |
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| Description: | The Vajra wineries are family-run labors of love. The original G.d. Vajra winery was founded by Aldo Vajra, with his first release coinciding with the troublesome 1972 vintage. Instead of cutting his losses by abandoning the grapes on the vines, he made the best wine he could and never stopped. Remaining obstinate in his vision of what great Barolo should be, he refused to succumb to the increasing popularity of aging in French oak, especially with new barrels, which he felt would detract from the elegant and pure expression of the Nebbiolo grape. He was well-aware of the modern improvements in the wine cellars, though, and through the years earned a reputation for being "the most modern of the traditionalists and the most traditional of the modernists. Aldo and his wife, Milena, along with their three children have continued to improve and grow from that humble first wine. It's a testament to the character of this family that the small but well-respected winemakers, Luigi and Fiorina Baudana, felt comfortable letting the Vajras take over their estate in 2009, and with it their legacy (no small thing in a region that takes such things so seriously). In keeping with the old ways, the Vajras farm organically, make use of long fermentations during which the skins and juice gently mingle, and age the wines in large Slavonian oak barrels that impart only subtle wood notes. Kerin O'keefe 95 Points - "Pressed rose, small red berry, camphor and spice aromas mingle together on this lovely red. Made with 50-year old vines, its firm but elegantly structured, delivering spiced cranberry, blood orange, star anise and clove alongside fresh acidity and tightly woven tannins. Drink 20262039. Abv: 14% Kerin OKeefe February 2023 kerinokeefe.com.com". Decanter 94 Points - "Fermented and aged in big oak vessels, Baudana shows a great complexity and delicacy of liquorice root, smoky woodland, rose and violet aromas, with wild strawberry and peony in depth. Firm and acidic on the attack, it has structured yet fine-grained tannins. There's the typical dustiness of Nebbiolo and it's super-austere but fierce in its character, with a touch of youthful rusticity on the finish. I would age it, given its old-fashioned character." Drinking Window: Now-2050. Wine Advocate 93 Points - "This wine is a blend of fruit from Baudana, Cerretta and Costabella. The Luigi Baudana 2019 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba shows the firmness and structure that this village is known for with pretty perfumes of rose, rusty nail, autumnal leaf, licorice and tar. Costabella is an early-ripening site, and fruit is sourced from the youngest vines in Cerretta and Baudana (leaving a selection from the older vines for the single-vineyard wines)." |
| Price: | $ 69.98 |
| Price in original currency: | None |
Available from Hi-Time Wine Cellars
| Address: |
250 Ogle Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 United States |
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| Telephone (toll-free): | 800-331-3005 |
| Telephone (regular): | 949-650-8463 |
| Fax: | 949-631-6863 |
First added to 1000 Corks on November 18, 2023.
