G.D. Vajra Barolo Albe 2019

Dried rose, cherry blossom and warm spice lead, giving way to a core of pure Nebbiolo fruit, red cherry, iron and a trace of dried herbs. Lighter in frame than many Barolo, but what it lacks in weight it makes up for in precision and composure. The tannins are fine and well-knit, with a firm acidity keeping everything focused through the finish. This is a hushed, inward wine that repays patience, past vintages of Albe have opened beautifully with three to four years of bottle age, and the classic structure here suggests the same trajectory. Drink 2026–2035.