Your cellar, your trips, and the wines you've been tracking are right where you left them.
New here?
Free, always. Education first, we'll never sell you anything you didn't ask to see.
Already have an account?
Enter the email you signed up with and we'll send a link to choose a new password.
Azienda Agricola Vajra
G.D. Vajra's Barolo from the Bricco delle Viole cru, the highest historical vineyard in the village of Barolo at 400 to 480 metres. A pure, perfumed Nebbiolo of violets, kirsch and chiselled tannins, organically farmed from vines planted in 1931.
Black FridayNo checked saving on this wine today. See 14 checked deals on Barolo
We track 4 UK retailers across all vintages and formats, including out-of-stock offers. Prices read several times a week. We earn a commission on some links; it never changes the order.
Stock is shown where the retailer publishes it, offers are sorted by price, and unavailable offers can’t be clicked.
No current retailer offer matches that combination.
Stock status is read from each retailer’s page several times a week and may lag.
The picture of this high-altitude Barolo vineyard, glass in hand and with Vajra's own 2020 and 2021 fact sheets alongside.
The Bricco delle Viole signature is florality. Vajra's own notes for the 2020 lead with blue violets and dried rose petals over kirsch and blood orange, and that perfume is unmistakable in the glass. Beneath the flowers sits the savoury Nebbiolo register that runs through every bottle: leather, tar and dried earth.
Rose petal
Violet
Cherry
Forest berries
Tobacco
Tar
Leather
LiquoriceThis wine is grown on the western ridge of Barolo at 400 to 480 metres, the highest historical named plot and the closest to the Alps. This is a cool, high-toned Nebbiolo rather than a powerhouse. The 2020 shows the mid-weight grace Vinous attributed to the vintage, with tapered energy and youthful, finely drawn tannins. The 2021, scored 96 by Antonio Galloni, is richer and firmer. Both carry red cherry and liquorice over the chalky-clay tension of the site.
The finish is long and lifted. It closes on cherry, wild berries and the subtle minerality Vajra describes from the 1931 vines. The fine-grained tannins leave a savoury, rose-scented trail rather than weight.
Bricco delle Viole is Vajra's most aromatic, age-worthy Barolo. It has been organically farmed since 1971 and is held in large Slavonian casks rather than new oak. Drinkers like it, year after year, for its elegance and perfume, and it needs cellar time. Give it five years from release, and a decade rewards the patient.
Two vintages are tracked here: the graceful 2020 and the more structured, critically acclaimed 2021, with UK shelf prices around £84 to £100.
A benchmark food and occasion Barolo that scores low for everyday and beginner drinking: a cellar wine for special meals, not a midweek pour.
A prestige single-vineyard Barolo DOCG from a benchmark Langhe estate with 96 to 97-point critic scores is a natural special-occasion bottle, scoring near the top of the occasion band.
Classic food Barolo: bright high-altitude acidity and firm Nebbiolo tannin make it a benchmark partner for braised meat, truffle and aged cheese, scoring at the top of the medium-tannin, bright-acid band.
Barolo DOCG mandates 38 months ageing; Vajra gives 28 months in large Slavonian casks plus firm tannin and 14 to 14.5% ABV, supporting a two-decade window that scores at the top of the cellar band.
At £84 to £100 in the UK it sits near the going rate for this vineyard, fair for a single-vineyard Barolo with 96-point critic scores. But it is firmly premium, so value lands mid-band rather than high.
Austere young tannins, savoury tar-and-leather character and a need for cellar time make this a connoisseur's Nebbiolo rather than an easy first Italian red, pulling the beginner score well below mid.
A £90 single-cru Barolo built for the cellar is the opposite of an everyday pour; the inverse of its high cellar score plus the price-band penalty above £20 leaves the everyday score low.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our Wine Fit Score methodology.
A compact view of what the Barolo denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
Both years rate five stars with the critics, the 2020 mid-weight and graceful and the 2021 a superb, more harmonious vintage scored 96 by Antonio Galloni.
Vinous rates 2021 a superb Barolo vintage, more vibrant than 2020 and the most harmonious of recent years, and Vajra's Bricco delle Viole drew 96 points from Antonio Galloni and 97 from James Suckling. Richer and more structured than the 2020, it carries the cru's signature violet and dark-cherry aromatics over firm Nebbiolo tannins built for two decades of ageing.
A long, late-ripening 2020 with a 213-day growing cycle gave Vajra a mid-weight, red-toned Bricco delle Viole that Vinous called a study in grace and understatement. Harvested in early October and aged 28 months in large Slavonian casks, it leads with violets and kirsch over youthful, finely drawn tannins that reward a decade or more in the cellar.
Vinous rates 2021 a superb Barolo vintage, more vibrant than 2020 and the most harmonious of recent years, and Vajra's Bricco delle Viole drew 96 points from Antonio Galloni and 97 from James Suckling. Richer and more structured than the 2020, it carries the cru's signature violet and dark-cherry aromatics over firm Nebbiolo tannins built for two decades of ageing.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Old vines from 1931, organic farming since 1971, a steep 480-metre Alpine site and years in large Slavonian oak shape both the character and the price of Vajra's flagship cru.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Barolo is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Barolo falls within Piedmont, covering Cuneo, Langhe: Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Diano d'Alba, Cherasco, Roddi. The denomination is further divided into 11 sub-zones.
Wine route
2 days · 7 stops
Open the driveProducer: Azienda Agricola Vajra, Barolo.
Wine route in the zone: Langhe Nebbiolo Route.
Fruit comes only from the Bricco delle Viole cru, the highest historical vineyard in Barolo, with some vines dating to 1931. Limited cru volume and low old-vine yields put this well above generic Barolo, which averages far below its £84 to £100 UK price.
The vineyard sits on a steep western ridge up to 480 metres, the closest in Barolo to the Alps. Vajra cites an exceptional ratio of manual work per hectare, and that hand labour on slope is a real cost the price has to carry.
Aldo Vaira adopted organic farming in 1971 and the estate is certified organic and sustainable, with grassing and cover crop for nearly 50 years. Certified low-intervention farming lifts cost versus conventional Barolo viticulture.
The 2020 spent 28 months in 25 and 50-hectolitre Slavonian casks before bottling in July 2023, comfortably beyond the 38-month total Barolo DOCG minimum. Years of cellar inventory and cask upkeep are tied up before any bottle is sold.
Every still bottle at this strength carries £2.67 UK excise duty, and 20% VAT on a roughly £90 bottle adds about £15.
Vajra ages in large traditional Slavonian botti rather than buying new French barriques each vintage, so the cru avoids the costly annual barrel spend that inflates some modern-style Barolo, taking a little pressure off the final price.
The cru's firm tannins and bright high-altitude acidity point straight at brasato, white-truffle pasta and aged cheese, with clear clashes to avoid.
The firm, finely drawn Nebbiolo tannins of Bricco delle Viole need protein and collagen to soften against. Long-braised Piedmontese beef coats the palate, taming the grip while the wine's acidity cuts the richness of the sauce. This is the homeland pairing: the cru sits a few hundred metres from the kitchens that invented brasato al Barolo.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Fiorentina steak · More pairings →
Bricco delle Viole's perfume of violets, dried rose and dried earth bridges directly into the savoury, earthy aromatics of Alba white truffle. The wine's high-toned florality lifts the dish rather than competing with it, while its acidity keeps buttery egg pasta from cloying. Cru and truffle share the same Langhe autumn.
Try with: Tajarin al Tartufo · Truffle risotto · Tagliatelle al tartufo di Acqualagna · More pairings →
Nebbiolo's bright, cool-site acidity, pronounced here thanks to the cru's 400 to 480 metre elevation, slices through the butter and stock of a Piedmontese risotto or the meat filling of agnolotti. The match keeps each bite fresh and stops the dish feeling heavy across a long meal.
Try with: Agnolotti del Plin · Porcini mushroom risotto · Risotto alla Milanese · More pairings →
The tannin and acidity that make young Bricco delle Viole demanding on its own become an asset against hard aged and blue cheeses. The wine scrubs the fat and salt clean while its violet and cherry lift answers the funk. Reach for it once the bottle has a few years of bottle age and the tannins have settled.
Try with: Gorgonzola, pear, and walnut risotto · Cheese board · Strong cheddar cheese
Bricco delle Viole is mid-weight rather than massive, the style Vinous flagged for the 2020, so it matches game without flattening it. The wine's savoury, leather-and-tar register mirrors the gamey depth of pheasant and venison, and its acidity cuts through accompanying jus and root vegetables.
Try with: Roast Pheasant · Venison Stew · Roast Duck · More pairings →
Skip Bricco delle Viole with chilli heat, sugary glazes and oily fish. Nebbiolo's tannin amplifies capsaicin and makes spicy dishes taste harsher, sweet-and-sour sauces clash with the dry, savoury palate, and the wine's structure overwhelms delicate raw fish. This is a wine for savoury, slow-cooked food, not for heat or sweetness.
Skip with: Peking duck · Szechuan beef · Crispy chilli beef · sushi · Pairing guide →
A two-decade Barolo: the 2020 from around 2026 and the 2021 from 2027, both built on firm tannin and large-cask ageing to reward patience into the 2040s.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Aim for the cooler end on a warm day; warmer end opens up more aromatics.
Barolo DOCG mandates 38 months ageing; Vajra gives 28 months in large Slavonian casks plus firm tannin and 14 to 14.5% ABV, supporting a two-decade window that scores at the top of the cellar band.
£59.54 for a 75cl bottle of the 2022, at 8wines, is the best price we track, and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page several times a week. Last refresh: 6 Nov 2026, 04:19 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic. Drinkers score it 4.3 out of 5 from 8,823 ratings on Vivino.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, from how this wine is made, the rules of its appellation, UK duty and VAT and the price shops charge for it today. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumAny advice here on keeping this wine is general, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand. Drinking years, where shown, belong to the vintage named beside them.
Confidence · MediumIt is 100% Nebbiolo, as required by the Barolo DOCG. The fruit comes from the single Bricco delle Viole cru in the commune of Barolo, the highest and most Alpine of the village's historical vineyards, with vines dating back to 1931.
Expect a perfumed, mid-weight Barolo led by violets, dried rose and kirsch, with red cherry, licorice and a savoury tar-and-leather depth. The high-altitude site gives bright acidity and fine, chiselled tannins rather than sheer power.
Give it time. The 2020 drinks well from around 2026 and the structured 2021 from about 2027, with both rewarding ten years or more from the vintage. The wine's firm Nebbiolo tannins and large-cask ageing support a window stretching into the 2040s.
Pair it with Langhe classics: brasato al Barolo, tajarin or risotto with white truffle, and braised veal or beef. It also suits roast game and aged cheeses. Avoid chilli heat, sweet glazes and delicate raw fish, which clash with its dry, tannic structure.
It is a single-vineyard Barolo from a benchmark Langhe estate, organically farmed since 1971 from old vines planted in 1931 and aged years in large Slavonian oak. With 96 to 97-point critic scores and limited cru production, UK prices sit around £84 to £100 a bottle.
Both are strong. The 2020 is the more graceful, mid-weight vintage, elegant and ready a touch sooner. The 2021 is richer and more structured, rated a superb year and scored 96 by Antonio Galloni, with the longer cellar life.
8 retailers
Barolo
8 retailers
£74.00
+ delivery
8 retailers
Barolo
8 retailers
£53.00
£59.55
+ delivery
7 retailers
Barolo
7 retailers
£55.00
+ delivery
6 retailers
Barolo
6 retailers
£91.48
+ delivery
Affiliate disclosure. Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Editorial coverage, ratings and tasting notes are written independently and a retailer cannot pay to be listed or to be ranked higher.
How retailer prices are sourced.
Prices and stock are read from each retailer’s public product page several times a week. Outbound buy links carry rel="nofollow sponsored noopener". The list is sorted by price; we do not accept payment for placement.
What we will never do. Imply we tasted a bottle when we didn’t. Imply stock when a retailer is out. Imply independence on links that are paid affiliate links.
DOCG
checked 
