I love that Vajra’s description of this starts with how it’s grown:
In 1971, Aldo Vajra, then still a university student, was one of the earliest to adopt organic farming in Piemonte. Vineyards have been nurtured, and soil preserved, by grassing and spontaneous cover crop for almost 50 years now. They are sustainable and organic certified. With an incredible ratio of manual work per hectare, farming at Vajra is a labor of love and “recipe-free” attention. Intense research is also placed into monitoring and improving the biodiversity of both flora and fauna not just in the vineyards, but also in the winery fields and forests.
But the winemaking inspiration here is even more interesting:
Claré JC is a unique wine, our take on the forgotten days of Nebbiolo, when it was enjoyed in its lighter and fresher garment. The winemaking protocol follows the 1606 writings of G.B. Croce, jeweler of the House of Savoia: the wine is bottled soon after the fermentation so as to retain a gentle off-dry finish and a lovely energy. The Claré JC shows gorgeous cherry and Nebbiolo-skin tones on the nose and a slightly drier finish that will blossom with some time in the bottle.
If you don’t believe Nebbiolo can produce some of the most ravishing wine in the world, you owe it to yourself to try this one.
It will put ANY Barolo under $50 (and most over $50) to shame.
