Bricco delle Viole Dinner with Giuseppe Vaira @ Fausto Restaurant,
Brooklyn, NY, 8/18/2019
This Nebbiolo group (formed though the
Vinous forum)
put together a vertical of the flagship Barolo of the
G.D. Vajra winery
from the Bricco delle Viole vineyard.
I got in touch with their winemaker Giuseppe Vaira and it turned out that he was available in New York City
on Sunday, August 18th, and most of our group could make that date.
We were pleased that their US rep Kevin Natoli was also able to join us.
The Vajras view Kevin as a member of their family.
He often does tasting of their wines in the USA.
Click on any photo with a border for a larger view of that photo.
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Here is a photo of Giuseppe in the steep Bricco delle Viole vineyard taken by his brother Isi.
You can see the town of Barolo in the upper left in this photo:
Fausto was opened in 2017
by restaurateur and beverage expert Joe Campanale and chef Erin Shambura.
Erin was the chef at L'Artusi for six years.
Joe was a partner and ran the beverage programs at a series of superb Manhattan restaurants:
dell'anima, L'Artusi, Anfora, and a prticular favorite of our group, L'Apicio.
Working with the people at Fausto was a real pleasure.
They set up a menu for our group that went beautifully with the wines.
The food was superb and plentiful. The service was perfect.
Perhaps the greatest compliment is that we only noticed the staff when we needed them.
If you haven't been, go! One of the top Italian restaurants in the City.
Heading downstairs to the private dining room:
The menu:
Champagne
NV Agrapart & Fils Champagne Les 7 Crus Brut - France, Champagne
[Bottled May 2017. Disgorged April 2019. Gift from the restaurant.]
Complex yeasty nose. Long with delicious citrus complexity. Impressive. (93 points)
Fausto co-owner Joe Campanale chats with Marc:
Brad and Suzanne taste the Champagne:
Kevin, Giuseppe, and Jon:
Dinner
Giuseppe thanks us for organizing the dinner and speaks with passion about his family's winery:
Sparkling Rose
NV G.D. Vajra N.S. della Neve - Italy, Piedmont, Vino da Tavola
[Disgorged 22 September 2011. Sparkling rose from 50% Nebbiolo and 50% Pinot Nero.]
This has aged well. Smoky cherry nose. Juicy complex strawberries. Tasty. (92 points)
Flight One: 20th Century Bricco delle Viole
This flight and the N.S. della Neve were served with an antipasto consisting of three dishes:
Suppli (mozzarella rice balls in tomato sauce):
Pork Meatballs in a broccoli rabe pesto:
Panzanella (chopped salad of soaked stale bread, onions and tomatoes):
These wines were made by the winery's founder, Aldo Vaira (Giuseppe's father).
They have aged beautifully. Tasted around 7pm.
1987 G.D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba Riserva Bricco delle Viole -
Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba
[Double decanted at 11am.] Amazing. A 32 year old Barbera.
Had a funky smell on decanting, but that blew off by the time we drank it (around 7pm).
Smoky nose of black berries and spice. Juicy in the mouth.
A little bitterness on the finish, but long and complex. Amazing. (92 points)
1989 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted at 11am.] Floral nose of red and black fruit and licorice and tar.
Gorgeous and expansive in the mouth. Tannins still present, but those classic 1989 appealing tannins.
Maybe the WOTN. (95 points)
1997 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted at 11am.] Tart cherry nose. Thick sour cherry in the mouth.
Juicy, tannic, young. Tasty cherries. Needs 5 years. (93 points)
Around the table:
Josh, Jamie, Brad, Suzanne, Marc, Ben:
Marc, Ben, Jon, Giuseppe, Kevin:
Ben, Jon, Giuseppe, Kevin:
Flight Two: 2004–2008 Bricco delle Viole
This flight served with three pasta dishes:
Whole Wheat Chitarra under Mixed Mushrooms, Parmesan, & Egg:
Garganelli under Veal Bolognese, Wild Arugula, & Piave Vecchio:
Orecchiette under Fennel Braised Pork, Wilted Greens, & Parmesan:
These wines were made by the winery's founder, Aldo Vaira (Giuseppe's father).
I expect these to give a great deal of pleasure for decades to come. Tasted around 8pm.
2004 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted at 11am.] Beautiful nose of violets, cherries, and licorice. Rich and complex.
A stunning young wine with a long future. Loads of fierce tannins and ripe fruit.
Needs at least another decade to resolve and show its full potential. (95–? points)
2006 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted at 9:30am.] Spiced cherry nose.
Juicy, ripe, complex. Spicy and a bit medicinal at this stage.
Seems a bit over-ripe at this point, but I think it just needs 5-10 years to mature and integrate.
(92–94 points)
2008 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted at 1:30pm.] Muted smoky cherry nose Big rich juicy. A beautiful wine.
I'm consistently amazed at how well these 2008s continue to show. (93–95 points)
Flight Three: 2009–2011 Bricco delle Viole
This flight and the next one served with three main dishes:
Roast Chicken with Butter Beans, Tuscan Kale, Leek, & Chicken Sausage:
Lamb Loin Chop with Garlic Puree, Swiss Chard, & Shallots:
I believe these wines were also made by the winery's founder, Aldo Vaira.
Giuseppe graduated from school in 2009, so I think he was beginning to play a significant role
in the winemaking. Tasted around 9pm.
2009 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Magnum. Double decanted at 5pm.] Bright cherry nose. Licorice, plums.
Tasty and ready to go, but should hold for a decade or so. (90 points)
2010 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted at 11am.] Gorgeous perfume. Long and complex. Sweet tannins. Delicate and lovely.
I don't think this is a super-long ager, but it is so gorgeous I would not blame anyone for dinking
this over the next 10 years or so. (94 points)
2011 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted at 11am.] Sweet blackberry nose. Ripe plums. A joy to drink now.
Lots of fruit and licorice. (92–93 points)
Flight Four: 2012–2015 Bricco delle Viole
These wines were made by Giuseppe Vaira. Tasted around 9:30pm. See Flight Three for the food.
2012 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted at 1:30pm.] Lovely floral nose. Juicy and elegant. Medium length and medium tannins.
Drink over the next 10 years. (91 points)
2013 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted at 12:30pm.] Beautiful floral nose. Loads of violets and elegant fruit in the mouth.
Continues to open. A gorgeous, complex wine to drink over the next 20 or more years, though
it will need a good decant until 2030 or so. (95 points)
2015 G.D. Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Double decanted at 5pm.] Straight from the winery. Rich nose of meat and black fruits.
Medium length. Hard to judge so young. So delicious now, but needs time. (92–94 points)
Bonus Barolo
This wine was an improptu gift from Fausto co-owner Joe Campanale.
He knew that Giuseppe loves this old producer.
1964 Franco Fiorina Barolo - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
[Pop and pour.] Still tight.
Needs a lot of air. Sour cherries and some turpentine.
Interesting, but hard to judge such an old wine after so many young ones. (92–? points)
Dessert
Lemon Ricotta Cake with Whipped Creme Fraiche:
Photo on the left from the Fausto website.
Conclusion
These terrific wines go from strength to strength. Still a terrific value in classic single-vineyard Barolo.
Stock your cellar!
The winery's website says "Wines that do not need to talk out loud or flex their muscles.
We ask them to touch the hearts of all."
I think that is an accurate description of their flagship Barolo from Bricco delle Viole.
Happy people:
More on Vajra
The links below contain more background and information about the Vajra winery and the Vaira family.
In February of 2016, I had the good fortune to sit with Giuseppe and his brother Isidoro (Isi) at the
Gala dinner of La Festa del Barolo.
This link includes some background and some tasting notes on Vajra wines.
Two days after our dinner, Eric Guido hosted a visit by Giuseppe at Morrell where he is the wine director. Here is his write-up, which is quite informative.
And here is a video of a terrific interview Eric did with Giuseppe during this visit:
