The first line of my tasting note for this vintage of Vajra Dolcetto practically reads like a West Side Story song: "So Poised! So Pretty!" Some Barolo houses seem to make Dolcetto as a kind of afterthought, merely an affordable thing to drink as they wait for their star pupils (their Barolos) to graduate. Not G.D. Vajra. This is top-tier winemaking, with extended maceration times and fruit from mature vineyards. Think blackberry, olive tapenade, smoked meats, crushed violets, and blueberry scents. Refined, lush, and long- lingering in the glass, this is serious Dolcetto from a serious Barolo producer. (Warning: may induce the singing of showtunes.)
