Bricco delle Viole is the highly sought-after Vajra flagship. The highest vineyard in Barolo, straddling 400 to 480 metres above sea level, its where the Alps first kiss the vines and the sun holds on just that little bit longer. Its also the cru that taught Aldo Vaira patience.

In 2021, this vineyard delivered something electric. Picked in mid-October and treated to a 51-day maceration, the resulting wine is crystalline in its detail. This is Nebbiolo with poise and tension, right at the apex of Barolo’s finest wines. The aromatics are lifted and layered: violets, incense, balsamic lift, dark red berries, blackcurrant and a flicker of eucalyptus. The tannins beautifully silky and sculpted.

It’s the focus and precision in this Cru that sets it apart. Endless sheets of shaley, minerally tannin, a head-spinning bouquet of flowers, almonds and a springtime herb garden in full bloom.

It’s one of the great wines of Barolo and remarkable value given the pedigree and stature of this wine in the context of the region.

97 points
“Fragile at first but evolves with redcurrant, pressed flowers, savory peat moss and ashy stone; beautifully nuanced and sharply detailed.”
– Monica Larner (Robert Parker Wine Advocate)

96 points
“Dark cherry, liquorice, biscuit spice, orange peel and exotic perfume. Its deep and a little sooty in texture, dried herbs with some amaro twang, black tea and mint, a juiciness to acidity, dark and savoury on a finish of excellent length and firm graphite tannin grip. Bold, but very good.”
– Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

96 points
“Stature and breeding with dark-toned fruit, leather, incense, and gravel; a sombre, potent Bricco delle Viole not to be opened soon.”
– Antonio Galloni (Vinous)

96 points
“Dark cherries, orange rind, and dried flowers; incisive and elegant with refined tannins and a long, detailed finish. Better in 2026.”
– Jacobo Garcia-Andrade Llamas (JamesSuckling.com)