
Vajra’s 95-Point, $33.99 Barolo!
With the newly released 2021 G.D. Vajra "Albe" Barolo, siblings Giuseppe, Francesca and Isidoro Vajra have clearly made their parents proud!
Wine Advocate, who has reviewed this wine since the 2000 vintage, awards a whopping 95 Points. Jeb Dunnuck, also issuing his biggest rating, writes...
“Get a case or two if you can. Drink over the coming 15-20 years.”
- Jeb Dunnuck, May 2025
At $33.99, the Barolo quality-to-price ratio here is unparalleled. Demand for this wine higher than ever, resulting in a smaller allocation for us. Scroll down for the details, and for our miniscule offering of the 2021 Vietti "Ravera" Barolo (98+ Points, $223.99), then click fast on the Big Yellow Button to add these impressive Piedmont reds to your cellar!
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2021 G.D. Vajra "Albe" Barolo
Piedmont, Italy
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It seems that EVERY wine the Vajra family produces is excellent. That’s a statement we’d only make for a handful of producers. Even more impressive is that every wine siblings Giuseppe, Francesca and Isidoro Vajra bottle is also an unreal bargain.
Their “Albe” is arguably the best deal in all of Barolo. From the truly spectacular 2021 harvest, the Vajra family has bottled the best version of Albe yet. Bright and alive, its layers of red flower, strawberry, dried red berry and truffle flavors lead the way, with white stone minerals, pipe tobacco, baking spice, pepper, and dried herbs running through a long, sexy, and next level finish. Richly textured and vibrating with freshness and a noble tannic chew, this seriously impressive Barolo earns a solid 93 Points on our scale and best-ever 95- and 94-Point reviews from Advocate and Dunnuck!
“The 2021 Barolo Albe continues to be one of the best values the region has to offer and punches far above its weight class in this vintage. The nose is ripe with fresh, layered notes of pure red cherries, fresh flowers, anise, and refined spices. The palate is fantastic and pure, with a long finish. This is one of the best vintages of this wine I have tasted to date, revealing great definition of structure and a refreshing feel that makes this a fantastic go-to option to check in on again and again as it ages. I would snap these up and get a case or two if you can. Drink over the coming 15-20 years. Maturity: 2025 - 2045.”
- 94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (5/1/2025)
“The G.D. Vajra 2021 Barolo Albe is an enormously versatile expression of Nebbiolo, with an affordable price, that offers more value for your money than most Barolos out there. The bouquet focuses on dark berry, pressed flower and crushed stone. It offers good sharpness over broad lines. The mouthfeel is medium-plus in texture and it closes with silky, accessible tannins. Fruit comes from three cru sites: Coste di Vergne, Fossati and La Volta. Drink Date: 2025 - 2040.”
- 95 Points, Wine Advocate (1/30/2025)
Median online retail is a ravingly good $38. Our price is even better. Grab a few bottles or a case and enjoy over the coming decade-plus. And do so quickly, while our allocation lasts!
Vin Chicago Price: 33.99
The 98+ Point Vietti “Ravera” Barolo!
2021 Vietti "Ravera" Barolo
Piedmont, Italy
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The name Vietti needs no introduction. As the producer of several single-site Barolo bottlings, Vietti consistently receives top accolades from the wine press. In great vintages like 2021, the wines are ethereal.
Made in small quantities, their bottling from the famed “Ravera” vineyard is known for being a highly structured wine that will age for many decades. This is a perfect wine to drink on a 25th birthday with your now four-year-old, or at a 25th anniversary dinner with your new bride!
“You could argue that this is the wine with the fasting growing quality trajectory because this vineyard site is one of those rare places in the appellation that appears to improve despite (or more likely because of) a changing climate. Ravera enjoys an open panorama (at 400 to 440 meters in elevation) that extends to the snow-capped Alps and benefits from cooler air currents, coupled with an amazing quality of light that you notice with the naked eye. The 2021 Barolo Ravera saw its fruit harvested later than the other wines, on October 11th, and continued with a classic Vietti-style fermentation with 20-plus days of skin contact. Simply put, what Ravera offers is complexity (and strength) with hints of bergamot, citrus, herbs, mineral and salt over a tightly concentrated mouthfeel. The quality of the tannins and the freshness of this 2021 are impressive, and that citrusy note continues with tangerine skin and kumquat. Production is 8,700 bottles. Drink Date: 2027 - 2055.
- 98+ Points, Wine Advocate (1/30/2025)
“The 2021 Barolo Ravera is a medium ruby hue and reveals a detailed and layered profile on the nose, with lifted spice and a more vertical feel to its notes of fennel, red cherries, red berries, wild fresh herbs, and orange peel spice. The palate is medium-bodied with a bit of gamey richness, ripe tannins, and a sanguine finish. It has good length and a savory feel. This area of Ravera is 450 meters above sea level and was harvested in this vintage 12 days after Monvigliero in the north. Drink 2026-2046.
- 94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (5/1/2025)
Our allocation is limited to a mere handful of three-bottle cases. Looking online we found 18 listings. Our price beats them all.
Vin Chicago Price: 223.99