G.D. Vajra – Barolo 2022

A short while ago I took part in an online tasting of G.D. Vajra’s 2022 Barolos, hosted by Giuseppe Vaira. The tasting was exceptionally memorable: Giuseppe’s metaphors and stories opened up the wines in a way that made the whole experience deeply resonant.

Family, tradition and precision

G.D. Vajra, based in the village of Barolo, is a family‑owned estate guided by three principles: hard work, attention to detail and creativity rooted in tradition. These values shape the elegant, terroir‑driven wines we tasted during the session organised by G.D. Vajra and Studio Cru.

The estate was founded in 1968 by Aldo Vaira, one of Piedmont’s pioneers of organic farming. Today the vineyards are tended by Aldo, Milena and their children Giuseppe, Francesca and Isidoro.

Vintage 2022 – preparing for drought

The same meticulous farming philosophy that has guided Vajra for decades shaped their approach to the 2022 vintage. According to an old saying, a full moon on Christmas night foretells a dry year. When Christmas 2021 indeed brought a full moon, the family decided to prepare for drought: pruning was postponed unusually late and cover crops were kept low to avoid competition for water.

The strategy worked. Nebbiolo was harvested mostly in October, which proved highly beneficial in a warm year.

Long skin contact and precise sorting

Giuseppe compares skin contact to an airplane: when you board a plane, you want long, strong wings — not short, fragile ones. In winemaking, long skin contact is like the sturdy wings needed for a long‑distance flight.

Capello sommerso — the submerged cap — is a technique used in many regions but rooted deeply in Piedmontese tradition. Its purpose is to continue skin contact after fermentation. In practice, it works like this: as fermentation nears its end, weights are placed on top of the cap and the tank is filled from the bottom up. The wine fills every space and ensures that the skins can macerate without oxidation.

This technique was essential in 2022, as Vajra aimed for particularly long skin contact. To make this possible, not a single sunburned berry could enter the fermenter. The estate acquired a sorting table that removes 98–99% of sunburned berries before destemming. This ensures that only pristine fruit goes into the wine, while the damaged berries are composted and returned to the vineyards as fertilizer. As a result, long fermentation and maceration can proceed without risk.

All Barolos were aged for 22 months in large Slavonian oak casks – a choice that brought freshness and tension to the wines in a warm vintage.

Tasting

2022 Barolo DOCG Albe

Albe takes its name from the three vineyards where three sunrises can be seen each morning.

The wine shows a pale garnet colour. The nose offers sweet, ripe cherry and floral notes. The palate mirrors the aromatics with silky tannins and a long, mineral finish.

Giuseppe describes Albe as a humble yet heartfelt tribute to the masters of traditional winemaking and to the idea of Barolo built on harmony between different terroirs.

2022 Barolo DOCG Coste di Rose

Coste di Rose is defined by its sandy soils, which enhance Nebbiolo’s aromatic expression. It is Vajra’s lowest‑lying vineyard, yet the layer of marl beneath the sand – and the deep‑reaching roots – provide excellent balance to the fruit.

The nose shows red cherry, plum, cranberry, wild strawberry, raspberry, floral notes, spice and herbs. The palate is balanced with soft tannins and a long, lingering finish.

2022 Barolo DOCG Ravera

Ravera is Novello’s most important single vineyard. Vajra’s parcels lie in the southern amphitheatre at 300–380 metres. The amphitheatre shelters the vines from wind and collects afternoon warmth, which Giuseppe says contributes to the wine’s aromatic generosity.

The nose reveals dark cherry, blackberry, leather, sweet spice and florals. The palate is powerful and dark‑fruited with herbs, sweet spice, soft tannins and a long finish.

2022 Barolo DOCG Bricco delle Viole

Bricco delle Viole is Vajra’s highest historic vineyard and the closest to the Alps. It receives the earliest sunrise and latest sunset, and temperatures drop sharply at night.

The nose shows ripe strawberry, red and dark cherry, perfume, violet and spice. The palate is complex and mirrors the aromatics with refined tannins and an exceptionally long finish.

Cask ageing and quality control

Vajra has a particular fondness for large Slavonian oak casks, and each wine has its own skin‑contact duration and ageing time. In 2022, however, all Barolos were aged for the same 22 months and bottled in May. Albe matures in the largest 75‑hectolitre casks, while the single‑vineyard wines are aged in smaller 25–50‑hectolitre casks depending on the vintage.

In the past, the estate operated a rotation system in which the oldest casks were sold and replaced with new ones. Over time this became unsatisfying, as many of the old casks carried memories of great wines. As a result, Vajra began keeping detailed notes during cask tastings and scoring each cask individually. Today they no longer sell casks based on age, but based on performance: the casks that lack personality or expressiveness are the ones that are retired. Likewise, any cask with an overly dominant aroma is sold.

2022 Barolo DOCG Baudana & Cerretta

Baudana is one of the smallest active wineries in the area. Collaboration with Vajra began in 2009 when Luigi Baudana could no longer manage the vineyard after hip surgery. Through a series of discreet meetings, the families agreed that Vajra would continue the Baudana name and vinify the wines in the original cellar.

This allowed Vajra to begin working in Serralunga, where their two parcels – Baudana and Cerretta – are among the village’s most important sites.

Both wines were harvested on 5 October and macerated for 55 days. Baudana is a west‑facing slope, Cerretta east‑facing, and the differences in exposure and soil are clearly reflected in the wines.

Baudana: Aromas of wild strawberry, ripe plum, blackberry, herbs, cocoa and a touch of leather. Balanced palate, silky tannins, long finish. 

Cerretta: Aromas of strawberry, red cherry and forest berries, with a touch of herbal lift. The palate is fruity yet powerful, with silky tannins and a long, mineral finish.

Sustainability at the core

G.D. Vajra was the first estate in Barolo to receive organic certification (1971). The Equalitas certification expands sustainability to include social wellbeing, biodiversity and carbon and water footprint monitoring.

The estate also funds its own flora research project, which monitors pollinators and wild vegetation. Biodynamic principles are applied selectively, though the estate does not define itself as biodynamic.

Biodiversity is central to Vajra’s philosophy. Aldo Vaira began massal selection in the 1970s to preserve Nebbiolo’s biotype diversity. Michet is a particular favourite, but the aim is always broad genetic diversity. The 20‑hectare forest surrounding the vineyards supports microclimate and insect life.

Ageing potential of the 2022 vintage

When asked about the ageing potential of 2022, Giuseppe Vaira notes that the question is always challenging. In his view, 2022 does not reach the longevity of vintages such as 2019 or 2021, and is best enjoyed over the medium term – within the first 10–15 years.

Further reading:

G.D. Vajra: https://www.gdvajra.it/en/homepage

L. Baudana: https://www.baudana.it/en/wine/barolo-docg-baudana/

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