G.D. Vajra & Luigi Baudana
Your Three-Day Discount Starts Now
Your Three-Day Discount Starts Now
It’s rare to find benchmark wines that remain affordable from one of a wine-growing region considered one of the finest in the world for centuries, but not impossible. Well, if you’ve read the title of this newsletter, there’s no surprise who we have in mind: G.D. Vajra and the now-sister estate of Luigi Baudana.
Check the purchase record of any staff member, and you’ll know why we call G.D. Vajra one of our favorite producers in the Piedmont. The estate responsible for some of the finest Barolos we offer and also excels with their more entry-level options. The lineup as a whole is quite simple the best in Piedmont today. At all price points they are benchmark wines against which all others are judged.
The entry-level wines consist of often unique regional blends and varietal wines. The wide selection of equally interesting options (red, white, and sparkling) all make for winning pizza- or pasta-night pairings. They’re wines that are so utterly charming, that you’ll want to buy by the case.
As we climb the latter, there are small-production wines from rare grapes (Freisa) and the cellar-defender Langhe Nebbiolos and village-level Barolos. At the top end, we find single-vineyard Barolos including the Ravera, which goes for triple digits from others addresses. The Bricco delle Viole is the highest vineyard in Barolo, named for the violets that blossom across its southern exposure. In its position above the thick fogs, it receives the most sunlight with the earliest sunrise and latest sunset, as well as a wildly dramatic diurnal temperature swing. The wines are lifted with refined tannins and minerality. Coste di Rose is home to a wide range of soil types, including sandstone. Per Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate, this results in unique aromatics and a darker fruit profile than the Bricco delle Viole.
If you’re not familiar with the Luigi Baundana estate, here’s a quick primer: In 2009, G.D. Vajra was entrusted by Luigi and Fiorina Baudana to carry on the legacy of their cherished garagiste operation upon their retirement. The estate’s holdings don’t exceed seven acres, making them one of the smallest wineries in all of Piedmont. As a result, these are wines made in highly limited qualities and offer a wholly unique interpretation of the varietal. The technical skill of Vajra is on full display with these old vines, resulting in wines that live up to the heritage of the estate and a wholly different interpretation of Nebbiolo in terms of aromatic lift and fruit profile. Their two estate vineyards offer perfumed and fruit driven expressions of Nebbiolo against minerality with clear aging potential.
Across the line, reviewers praise the complexity and value offered by these two estates. We’re proud to offer multiple vintages of these excellent Barolos and a wide range of the varietal wines and region blends. You can browse the selections below and shop the range on our webstore now!
Check the purchase record of any staff member, and you’ll know why we call G.D. Vajra one of our favorite producers in the Piedmont. The estate responsible for some of the finest Barolos we offer and also excels with their more entry-level options. The lineup as a whole is quite simple the best in Piedmont today. At all price points they are benchmark wines against which all others are judged.
The entry-level wines consist of often unique regional blends and varietal wines. The wide selection of equally interesting options (red, white, and sparkling) all make for winning pizza- or pasta-night pairings. They’re wines that are so utterly charming, that you’ll want to buy by the case.
As we climb the latter, there are small-production wines from rare grapes (Freisa) and the cellar-defender Langhe Nebbiolos and village-level Barolos. At the top end, we find single-vineyard Barolos including the Ravera, which goes for triple digits from others addresses. The Bricco delle Viole is the highest vineyard in Barolo, named for the violets that blossom across its southern exposure. In its position above the thick fogs, it receives the most sunlight with the earliest sunrise and latest sunset, as well as a wildly dramatic diurnal temperature swing. The wines are lifted with refined tannins and minerality. Coste di Rose is home to a wide range of soil types, including sandstone. Per Monica Larner of the Wine Advocate, this results in unique aromatics and a darker fruit profile than the Bricco delle Viole.
If you’re not familiar with the Luigi Baundana estate, here’s a quick primer: In 2009, G.D. Vajra was entrusted by Luigi and Fiorina Baudana to carry on the legacy of their cherished garagiste operation upon their retirement. The estate’s holdings don’t exceed seven acres, making them one of the smallest wineries in all of Piedmont. As a result, these are wines made in highly limited qualities and offer a wholly unique interpretation of the varietal. The technical skill of Vajra is on full display with these old vines, resulting in wines that live up to the heritage of the estate and a wholly different interpretation of Nebbiolo in terms of aromatic lift and fruit profile. Their two estate vineyards offer perfumed and fruit driven expressions of Nebbiolo against minerality with clear aging potential.
Across the line, reviewers praise the complexity and value offered by these two estates. We’re proud to offer multiple vintages of these excellent Barolos and a wide range of the varietal wines and region blends. You can browse the selections below and shop the range on our webstore now!
5% off any 4-8 in-stock bottles of G.D. Vajra and/or Luigi Baudana
10% off any 9 or more in-stock bottles of G.D. Vajra and/or Luigi Baudana
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Friday, May 24th at 9 am Pacific.
10% off any 9 or more in-stock bottles of G.D. Vajra and/or Luigi Baudana
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Friday, May 24th at 9 am Pacific.
We offer twenty options from G.D. Vajra & Luigi Baudana on sale now, including:
2017 Barolo In Stock Now:
“[In 2017, the] Vajra family produced a bevy of stellar wines from both their estates, G.D. Vajra in Barolo and Baudana in Serralunga. The 2017s are deep, fleshy and impeccably balanced.” -Antonio Galloni
G.D. Vajra Bricco delle Viole, Barolo DOCG 2017 750ml $69 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Kerin O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 96 points “Aromas of underbrush, pine forest, woodland berries and cedar form the enticing nose. Full-bodied and savory, the structured palate delivers ripe Morello cherry, raspberry compote, star anise and cinnamon before closing on pipe tobacco notes. Tightly knit but refined tannins provide the backbone, while surprisingly fresh acidity for the hot vintage keeps it balanced. Drink 2024–2032.”
2018 Barolos In Stock Now:
“Once again, I was blown away by the consistency of the range, starting from the simplest offerings in the lineup. The 2018 Barolos show the mid-weight, nervy side of the year, which emphasizes some of the classic austerity the wines can display in their youth. It will be interesting to see how the 2018s evolve in bottle.” -Antonio Galloni
#9 Top 100 Cellar Selections 2022 – Wine Enthusiast
G.D. Vajra Bricco delle Viole, Barolo DOCG 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Wine Enthusiast Kerin O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Cellar Selection. Heady aromas of violet, camphor, leather and tobacco lead the way on this fragrant red. On the palate, tightly knit, fine-grained tannins accompany ripe Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry and licorice. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2025–2035. -Kerin O’Keefe”
Wine Spectator 95 points “An elegant version, this red features rose, black currant, cherry, mineral and a hint of eucalyptus aromas and flavors. Linear in profile, this is solidly built on a graceful frame, with finely woven tannins and vibrant acidity. Best from 2026 through 2045. —B.S.”
G.D. Vajra Coste di Rose, Barolo DOCG 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $57.50, that’s $54.63 at 5% off and $51.75 at 10% off, 21 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 92 points “The 2018 Barolo Coste di Rose is a delicate, understated Barolo that will need a bit of time to fully emerge. There’s lovely purity to the fruit here, but also some angular contours that need to resolve. The 2018 is a mid-weight wine in the style of the vintage, and yet there is fine balance.”
G.D. Vajra Ravera, Barolo DOCG 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $79, that’s $75.05 at 5% off and $71.10 at 10% off, 36+ bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 93 points “The 2018 Barolo Ravera is a powerful, tightly wound wine. Gravel, smoke, cured meats, spice, leather, tobacco and menthol emerge, but only with quite a bit of reticence. This deceptively mid-weight Barolo has a good bit of brawn. It will be interesting to see if the fruit emerges from behind the tannins.”
James Suckling 93 points “Rich, ripe mixed berries and perfumed bark on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with some lightly firm tannin giving support to the fruit. Lacks the complexity of recent vintages, but has a promising core. Give it a while to broaden out. Try from 2024.”
Luigi Baudana ‘Baudana’, Barolo DOCG 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 26 bottles in stock now
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “With fruit from Serralunga d’Alba, the 2018 Barolo Baudana is a very different wine when compared to the other single-vineyard expressions from this estate. This has to do with site and soil, and in the case of this celebrated subzone, the wines are always more powerful, more structured and mineral-driven. Dark fruit is followed by rusty notes of iron ore and crushed clay. This wine offers good substance both in terms of finish and texture. Cascina Adelaide does a great job with the Baudana”.
Wine Spectator 94 points “Rich, exuding cherry, raspberry, plum and floral notes, with iron, tobacco and tar accents lending complexity. Shows terrific balance and depth, with a tightly wound structure that bodes well for future development. Best from 2025 through 2043. —B.S.”
“G.D. Vajra earns top scores for its perfectly designed portfolio of Piedmont wines. Well balanced against various price points (and all very reasonable), the estate offers excellent high-end Barolos from single vineyards, the super accessible and charming Barolo Albe, and a whole range of lower-end wines that are all creative in terms of graphics and design and extremely innovative in terms of winemaking, blends and overall approach. The G.D. Vajra portfolio should be a model for all sorts of up-and-coming wineries.” -Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Luigi Baudana Cerretta, Barolo DOCG 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 93 points “The 2018 Barolo Cerretta is a potent, searing wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. Scorching tannins wrap around a core of dark red/black fruit, gravel, smoke, crushed rocks, menthol, licorice and game. The 2018 is going to need a number of years to come around and for those formidable tannins to soften.”
2019 Barolos In Stock Now:
“The 2019 Barolos at Vajra are seriously impressive. These wines need a ton of air to show all they have to offer, something readers who want to taste them at this stage should bear in mind. The classicism of these wines is quite appealing for the future.” -Antonio Galloni
G.D. Vajra Albe, Barolo DOCG 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $33.50, that’s $31.83 at 5% off and $30.15 at 10% off, 31 bottles in stock now
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “This is certainly one of the most popular and versatile wines made in Italy, and deservedly so. The well-priced G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Albe shows some ripe fruit and softness with cherry, dried raspberry and crushed rose. This vintage is similar in character to the 2016 release in that both vintages offer a linear style with good structure at the back. The mouthfeel is polished and long, affording accessibility and complexity too.”
G.D. Vajra Coste di Rose, Barolo DOCG 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 30 bottles in stock now
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 95 points “Compared to Bricco delle Viole, Coste di Rose is distinguished by sandstone soils at lower elevations of 340 to 350 meters above sea level. There is a lot of variability in the soils, and as they change, Nebbiolo behaves differently, picking up new aromas and textural qualities along the way. The G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Coste di Rose shows a darker core of fruit with dusty earthy tones and campfire ash. The grape skins were quite thick in 2019, meaning that less work was done with submerged cap and other extractive methods. The beauty of this wine is the mouthfeel, which feels rich, tight and silky. Coste di Rose was first made in 2015.”
G.D. Vajra Ravera, Barolo DOCG 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 36+ bottles in stock now
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 97 points “The organic G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Ravera (with fruit from the most sought-after cru in the village of Novello) reveals gorgeous tonality and color. The wine shines bright with dark ruby and garnet gemstone. Healthy Nebbiolo colors like this can be admired across the 2019 vintage. Ravera represents a union of different geologies from Barolo and Castiglione Falletto. The site has shown extraordinary versatility, especially in the face of climate change, to make wines of both strength and elegance. It is softly textured but also strong in fiber, with silky sensations followed by dark fruit and concentration. Ravera has a character all its own, and the operative word here is power.”
Luigi Baudana ‘Baudana’, Barolo DOCG 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 20 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 96 points “The 2019 Barolo Baudana is absolutely captivating. Effusive and bright in the glass, with tons of freshness and remarkable fruit purity, the Baudana offers up generous dark red fruit, spice, leather, kirsch, hard candy, cedar, tobacco and underbrush. There’s terrific depth here and exceptional balance, too. Rose petal, white pepper and chalk lift the high-toned, intensely saline finish.”
Luigi Baudana Del Comune Di Serralunga d’Alba, Barolo DOCG 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $59, that’s $56.05 at 5% off and $53.10 at 10% off, 7 bottles in stock now
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 93 points “This wine is a blend of fruit from Baudana, Cerretta and Costabella. The Luigi Baudana 2019 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba shows the firmness and structure that this village is known for with pretty perfumes of rose, rusty nail, autumnal leaf, licorice and tar. Costabella is an early-ripening site, and fruit is sourced from the youngest vines in Cerretta and Baudana (leaving a selection from the older vines for the single-vineyard wines).”
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 93 points “The 2019 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba shows all the breadth of Serralunga, but in the somewhat austere style that runs through all the wines this year. Dark red fruit, sage, mint, leather and spice fill out the layers effortlessly. Rich and ample, yet super-classic,the Serralunga Barolo hits all the right notes. It may very well be the hidden gem in the entire Vajra range.”
Shop all twenty wines on our webstore now, including varietal and regional wines from G.D. Vajra!
Don’t miss our additional sale going on now:
Jaboulet
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Jaboulet
10% off any 6 or more in-stock bottles of Jaboulet
Bründlmayer
10% off any 6-11 in-stock bottles of Bründlmayer
15% off any 12 or more in-stock bottles of Bründlmayer
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Jaboulet sale ends Wednesday, May 22nd at 9 am Pacific. Bründlmayer sale ends Thursday, May 23rd at 9 am Pacific.