2014 G.D. Vajra Barolo ‘Albe’ |

WineBid pickup, in a quest for a decent Barolo with some age on it to help mallow out that famous Barolo tannic grip (over 2 years in Slavonian oak). At home, stored at 55 – brought out to dinner at an Italian restaurant. Popped and poured a little to taste, then had the staff decant the rest of the bottle.

Visually – a deep, dark ruby.

On the nose – overwhelming scents of fresh red strawberries & ripe cherries. Further into the glass, faint leather notes, pepper. Struggled to pick up any floral scents with this one – hoped for a bit more nose, but may have been the restaurant atmosphere overwhelming a bit.

On the palate, the tannins were pleasantly nippy after a decade of bottle time and 45 minutes of air – still there, but not overpowering. Fantastic acidity still. As it warmed, still no notable alcohol – leaning a bit past medium bodied, but not quite full. The bountiful red fruit flavors ensued – the real treat was the meal combo, which we planned in advance – a cheesy mushroom polenta as an appetizer and then a veal milanese/mushroom risotto as an entree . The tannins/acidity cut right through that polenta making for just a mouthwatering pairing to start out with – cheesy meals and a Barolo continue to be one of my favorite pairings! The finish was a bit sour, a bit tart, not as long as I hoped – yet still pleased here, for the $45 I paid for the bottle. I want to assume it was lighter and more fruit forward as a Langhe Barolo versus its northern cousins.