2018 G.D. Vajra Piemonte Barbera Freisa

A new addition to the Vajra lineup, with this inaugural release of Piemonte Barbera Freisa a mere 3,000 bottles. The wine is inspired by a rare, old curio produced by Carlo (Carlin) Vaira, Aldo’s grandfather, from a vineyard planted with a majority of Barbera and a row of Freisa. It served family and friends with enough pride to deserve being bottled and labelled; a rare dignity for home-consumed wines in those days. In 2018, Vajra brought the blend back to life with fruit from two neighbouring blocks in Bergera, Vergne. Both parcels grow on laminated Sant’Agata fossil marls loosened by alluvial debris and stones, on a south-facing slope located at 390m, less than 3km east of the Tanaro river. 55% Barbera and 45% Freisa were co-fermented for 18 days, and then racked in a stainless-steel vat until the end of the spontaneous malolactic conversion. With not enough wine to fill a cask, it was aged in neutral barrels for eight months, until bottling on 26th August 2019. The wine combines the charisma of both varieties, with the sophistication of Barbera and the savage allure of Freisa.

Other Reviews....
Here's an exciting discovery from G.D. Vajra. The 2018 Piemonte Barbera Freisa is an excellent wine and a worthy value proposition. Both the grapes used in the blend, Barbera (55%) and Freisa (45%), are celebrated locally for their versatility and their ease when paired with the local foods. From tagliarin with a light meat sauce to Bra pork sausage that is put on the grill in one giant coil, this wine has you covered. The wine's 15.5% alcohol content and its generous fruit keep the palate food-ready. The back label explains that estate patriarch Carlo (Carlin) Vajra produced a mysterious blend of the two grapes in 1970. That legacy lives on in this inaugural release of 3,000 bottles. This wine delivers black fruit with a hint of extra ripeness or blackberry preserves on the finish. Drink 2021 - 2025.
93 points
Monica Larner - Wine Advocate (June 2021)

Deep red colour with a faint touch of purple. The bouquet shows plenty of red fruits, baked-earth and hints of tarriness and grilled meat. The medium to full-bodied palate has layered, fleshy fruit, that charry-meaty note and a suggestion of coffee bean; the tannins are firm but ripe, with a slight amaro twist to the finish. A wine of rustic charm.
92 points
Stephen Blandford - The Real Review (June 2021)