It is a very traditional, very local variety grown in the vineyards of and drunk by the makers of great Barolo. Why haven’t you seen one before?
You could say it is the beautiful and enchanted daughter whom they packed off to the convent so the whole town wouldn’t be fighting over her.
She smells like violets, spices and ripe red cherries, is medium bodied, hauntingly delicious…and slightly sparkling! Serve chilled with antipasti and friends. Salud!
There were some 89 and 90 Vajras in the market five years or so ago that showed beautifully, and were remarkably like a traditional Barolo of a similar age (then about 18-20 years).
I’ve been very pleased with the recent Burlotto bottlings, which are quite approachable – more like a really beefy Dolcetto di Dogliani than a rustic nebbiolo. Fabbio Alessandria said that the trick for them was to pick it fairly ripe.
Wines like Pelaverga and Grignolino are also more adaptable food wines than, say, Barolo. Unoaked Barbera, too, although the good ones are becoming a bit alcoholic.
Vajra Kye is a fantastic wine for those who are not fully into the Italian camp, like my wife. It is earthy, complex, and interesting enough for the geeks, but enough fruit and texture for those who think they don’t like acidic reds. I highly recommend it - less polarizing than most Nebbiolo
We’ve sold maybe 30 different ones over the years and perhaps 5 of those were still and dry. Yes, those are from the sort of serious cantine that you tend to import and this board pays attention to but I think the vivace / frizzante style is quite a bit more prevalent.
I remember Luigi Copo having to go into a long explanation of why his Mondaccione was different and more expensive. That resulted in this explanatory sign:
“Mondaccione” is:
◊ Italian for “the biggest bitch in the world”.
◊ The steepest, hardest to work (by hand) vineyard in Piemonte, hence the name.
◊ Planted to Fresia, a varietal that smells of wild strawberries and is usually made slightly sweet and sparkling. But, since this vineyard is Mondaccione, the very meager yields are made into a very serious, soft and sensual dry, still red that might remind you of Burgundy.
