$44.99 with shipping included on 6 bottles or more

The ‘value’ Barolo segment, once filled with a plethora of good choices under $50, has become smaller by the year as mainstays like Vietti’s Barolo Castiglione and the Odderos’ Barolo Classico have drifted northward in price and those with less pedigree simply have not kept up their end of the bargain.  All is not lost, though, as several blue chip values do remain for those of us who love top-flight Barolo but don’t want to pay $100 for the pleasure.  We mourn the recent passing of Enrico Scavino, the quality pioneer whose blended Barolo remains, at still under $50, one of the best you can find for the money- their 2020 is in stock as well- but, over the past few vintages, we’ve also been very impressed with the Vaira family’s most excellent blended cuvee, a wine that displays a distinctly westside Barolo personality as opposed to, say, those of the Odderos,  Scavinos and Viettis which are more pan-appellation in their approach.  While most of the Vairas’ treasured fruit from their holdings in Bricco delle Viole, in the Vergne zone above Barolo castle, are saved for their vaunted single-vineyard bottling, they also farm (organically) small holdings in Fossati (a steep slope running along the border between La Morra and Barolo), La Volta (just under Viole) and Coste de Vergne (located over the shoulder of La Morra hill facing Cherasco).  These holdings are not bottled separately, but rather astutely blended together to make a really lovely wine that shows the many attributes of that side of the hill, a particularly fine thing in the beautifully rendered 2020 vintage where fruit, depth and balance is front and center.  Frankly, we’ve not tasted a better Barolo for the money from this harvest.  It has lovely presence right as you pop the bottle as Nebbiolo’s cinnamon-spice and red rose/jasmine aromatics are immediately apparent along with a deep well of vibrant red cherry and wild berry fruit.  We were impressed with the wine’s structure which boasts a nice bit of the ‘scorched earth’ and wild anise character we associate more with the Vairas’ more expensive Bricco delle Viole and other high-ticket wines.  This will not only be an extraordinary drink in its youth (like the bottle I plan on drinking tonight) but also with added cellaring.  A textbook wine to open at ten years past the harvest, there’s a lot of class here, especially for the money.  Affordable enough, we think, for a half case, at least!   

Wine Advocate You can't beat this value. The G.D. Vajra 2020 Barolo Albe is buttoned up with fresh primary fruit, and the wine does not have that hint of over-ripeness that is found across this vintage. The fruit is dark and savory, and there is a big mineral component to match, but the bouquet is nicely redolent of dark currant, plum, granite and a raspy dry note that brings crushed shale to mind. The tannins are quite impactful, and they give this wine extra runway for moderate bottle aging. 94 points

Wine Spectator #9 Wine of the Year, 2024:  This effusive red displays cherry, raspberry, rose, iron, juniper and hay flavors, underscored by vibrant acidity. Harmonious and supple in texture, with a long aftertaste of red fruit, mineral and floral elements. Best from 2028 through 2049. 7,000 cases made, 3,500 cases imported. 94 points