TN: 2011 Vajra - Langhe Nebbiolo

[John_Morris]

@JonF

Basic nebbiolo has been hit or miss (but mostly miss) for me. I’ve tried a number of bottles of basic nebb and i find they suffer from one of two major issues. Either they are just low quality ultra budget wines with no real character or they are decent, but just too tight to enjoy right now. With a basic daily drinker, you want a tasty wine and you want it now without concern for ideal drinking window nonsense.

So while any cheap wine can suffer from the former issue, its wines like Vietti Perbacco that sometimes fall victim to the latter. Being a much higher quality nebbiolo (often labeled as declassified whatever), it has the makings for a much more ageworthy wine but its just a bit too tight when young (last vintage or so). I’ve had 2010, '12 and '13 and the 10 was quite tasty, the 12 ok but needed time and the 13 was tighter than can be and pretty much pure tannin (even after a double decant).

It sounds like you just prefer these with a year or two of extra bottle age after release. I put away the Vajra 09 and 11 for that reason, but most of the wines in my post above are pretty drinkable now with food. But nebbiolo always needs food to shine. Whether you like them straight out on release or with a couple more years is just a matter of taste. (I find that’s true with the better Bourgognes, too. They need at least a couple of years to show well.)

[John_Morris]

@David_K

The wines of Etna can also scratch this itch. While the Etna wines can be tannic as well, they just seem more put-together at a young age.

I agree – Etna satisfies the same need for me. But the region and the nerello mascalese yield a kind of warmth of fruit and somewhat softer tannins, at least in the lower end wines.

[Howard_Cooper]

@NoahR

@James Billy

@Oliver McCrum

One of the great thing about being a Nebbiolo lover is that there are a lot of really good everyday bottles, as well as Barolo et cetera. Langhe Nebbiolo, the better Roero examples, northern Piedmont all have great examples. It’s harder for Burgundy nuts, I think.

I always think it’s the other way around. Barolo/Riserva is never cheap and the next step down is Langhe Nebbiolo which is a lottery if you aren’t properly informed as it ranges from unoaked, simple wine to desclassified Barolo.

Burgundy has 4 clear levels with village wines having village/cote distinction and 1er cru having undeclared/named site distinction.

But for those “in the know” there are great bargains on lesser wines from Ghemme, Alto Piemonte, etc and even in Barolo and Barbaresco. In Burgundy, the village wines of fancy pants producers sell for about the same as most decent Barolo, and the more you know the more you spend, not the other way around.

There are values to be had in most regions. The guys in the know about the region know where to find them. The person who does not spend the time of the region does not. True for Burgundy, true for Piedmont, true for most regions. On the other hand, I don’t know of any region where one can just buy blindly by category or appellation and get consistently good wines.

[Ian_Sutton]

@NoahR

Rovioli Ghemme

Hi Noah
I presume you’re thinking of Rovellotti Ghemme (the folks based in the centro storico).

I would argue just a little caution w.r.t. Northern Piemonte nebbiolo-led wines. These are often leaner / bonier than Barolo/Barbaresco/Roero and not to everyone’s tastes (but they are very much to mine and some others here). If looking for mini Barolo/Barbaresco I’ll look for good value from the likes of La Ca Nova, Giuseppe Nada etc. or get to know the styles that suit in Langhe Nebbiolo / Nebbiolo d’Alba. I’ve had wonderful base nebbiolo wines from Cascina Saria and Cascina Ballarin in recent years, coming across as somewhat lighter and less structured, but comparatively open and fragrant. Great joy for little money. However if you love a lean/bony wine, then Ghemme, Gattinara, etc. would be a happy hunting ground.

regards
Ian

[Oliver_McCrum]

Ian,

Have you had any Lessonas? There is a wide range of soil types and a wide range in resulting structure across the region, many of the wines are not at all bony.

[Ian_Sutton]

Hi Oliver
Yes we should always be wary of over-generalisations. I do wonder whether the likes of Sperino are atypical (ditto Le Piane in Boca)? There are exceptions in a number of the regions.
regards
Ian

[Oliver_McCrum]

Sperino is very typical Lessona, very drinkable when young. Some Ghemme is chewy, some not, eg Cantalupo is not (this may be due to the lack of Croatina, which does give some Alto Piemonte wines a rough edge when young). A few years ago the overall quality of winemaking in the area was nowhere near where it is now, which is also a factor. In any case the region is full of forward Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo-based wines that are drinkable when young.

NB I import Cantalupo for my market.

[John_Morris]

@John Morris

A note on appellations: Nebbiolo grown within the Barolo and Barbaresco DOC zones has to be labeled as Nebbiolo Langhe, not d’Alba. Nebbiolo d’Alba is from some delineated areas outside the Barolo and Barbaresco zones near Alba. In addition, there are nebbiolos from Roero, across the Tanaro River, where the soils are different and the grape is rendered somewhat differently.

Oliver tells me/reminds me that Roero nebbiolo can be labelled as Nebbiolo d’Alba or as Roero.

[Dennis_Atick]

Thread drift, but I pooped the 2013 Lange Rosso last night.
Cost me all of $15, probably cheaper in more competitive markets.
Pure, clean red fruits and still drinking well tonight. Stealing.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Was it bretty, Dennis?

[Scott_Watkins]

@Robert Alfert

Was it bretty, Dennis?

haha good question

[Bruce_Rudman]

Coincidentally, Wednesday night I popped open an 2007 G.D. Vajra Dolcetto d’Alba. It was fairly subtle, but went well with the meal. Not anything I’d go back for but decent for the $18.99 it cost about six years ago. Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be around to try the 2104 vintage discussed by Eric above. This thread has made me want to explore a little more into Piedmont wines.

[Dennis_Atick]

@Robert Alfert

Was it bretty, Dennis?

I think I’m missing the joke, but not at all. Super clean.

[Robert.A.Jr]

@Dennis Atick

@Robert Alfert

Was it bretty, Dennis?

I think I’m missing the joke, but not at all. Super clean.

@Dennis Atick

Thread drift, but I pooped the 2013 Lange Rosso last night.
Cost me all of $15, probably cheaper in more competitive markets.
Pure, clean red fruits and still drinking well tonight. Stealing.

[Michae1_P0wers]

The basic Rosso is always good. Mostly Freisa I think but a lot of varieties included IIRC.

[Dennis_Atick]

@Robert Alfert

@Dennis Atick

@Robert Alfert

Was it bretty, Dennis?

I think I’m missing the joke, but not at all. Super clean.

@Dennis Atick

Thread drift, but I pooped the 2013 Lange Rosso last night.
Cost me all of $15, probably cheaper in more competitive markets.
Pure, clean red fruits and still drinking well tonight. Stealing.

Me not spell or read so good.
I’m not editing that.

[Gary_York]

A 9 year old Dolcetto might be pushing it a bit too much. Unless you are talking about the C & F.