Bricco della Viole is the highest-altitude top vineyard in Barolo, at 480 meters. Named “Hill of the Violets,” as fowers blossom early in this perfectly south-facing site above the fog. It also has the earliest sunrise and latest sunset in Barolo. Combine with vines planted in 1931, this makes for Vajra’s most profound, complex and compelling wine. And one of the finest in all of Barolo.
Considered by pretty much every Barolo critic and expert as the best Barolo under $100. Which is especially true in this stellar vintage of 2021…which many have rated Vajra’s best Barolo ever. (Though for the first time ever, the Ravera has tied it.)
The Wine Spectator just rated it 97 points, their top Vajra Barolo equal and tied with the $690 Gaja Sperss! They priced it at $105 and said:
This red is rich and succulent, displaying cherry, raspberry, earth, leather and eucalyptus flavors. A mineral note emerges as this builds to the long, red fruit– and rose hip–stained finish. Best from 2028 through 2046.
Also Dunnuck 98: Top Vajra Barolo ever (with the Ravera):
The 2021 Barolo Bricco Delle Viole is more refined and complete at this tasting, with more depth than the Coste delle Rose, exhibiting notes of raspberry liqueur, pressed flowers, sweet herbs, and fresh earth. A very pure and well-balanced vintage for this wine, it really shines with exceptional detail, offering even tannins and a balanced, seamless structure throughout. It feels as though this wine will offer the broadest window for enjoyment, thanks to its purity and length, which are quite profound. Drink over the coming decades. In the cellar, it underwent 51 days of submerged cap maceration, followed by 24 months of cask aging before being bottled.
Also 97+ and second-best Vajra ever for the Wine Advocate:
This is always one of my favorite wines from this excellent producer, and I love it especially thanks to its fine nuances of redcurrant, pressed flower and something a little savory like peat moss. There is a hint of ashy stone or brimstone. All of these little details emerge with terrific sharpness in an epic vintage such as 2021. Fruit comes from a seven-hectare plot at 400 to 480 meters in elevation on Sant'Agata marl soils with marine fossils.
