The fruit to produce the Barbera d’Alba DOC G.D. Vajra was harvested in October. Each parcel was individually fermented so to respect the personality and qualities of each site, for an average time of 20 days, at free temperature below 30°C. While Barbera is often treated with shorter and vigorous macerations, Vajra work with gentle punch downs and cap rinsings for longer periods, in order to capture all the fragrance of the grapes. Malolactic fermentation took place in the stainless steel vats and was followed by racking.
The grapes were grown in six different vineyards from three different areas. Four vineyards are in Barolo, on chalky, Tortonian soils, facing either south-east or south-west, with vines planted between 1968 and 2004. Here the chalky soil results in delicately aromatic wines, with high acidity and red berry characters. The two vineyards planted in Novello and Sinio are on Helvetian soils, giving wines with ripe, black fruit characters, balsam and minerality, with firmer tannins.
Aldo Vaira’s wines are characterised by pristine flavours and clearly defined perfumes. These characters are attributable to the position of his vineyards at about 400 metres above sea level in the village of Vergne in the commune of Barolo. G.D. Vajra was established in 1972 and named after Aldo’s father, Giuseppe Domenico Vajra. Aldo has been gradually increasing the area under vine to 60 hectares, of which 10 are Nebbiolo for Barolo, located in such strategic spots as Bricco delle Viole, Fossati, La Volta and Coste di Vergne. A traditionalist, Aldo adheres to old-style winemaking methods, though blends these with new techniques, such as temperature-controlled fermentation, to produce such superbly elegant wines.
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