Name Barbera d'Alba Riserva
Vintage 1985
Producer Vajra
Appelation Barbera d'Alba DOC
Grapes Barbera
Alc./vol. 14%
Other info Single-vineyard Barbera from Bricco delle Viole
Price 212,50 Dkr.

This barbera is labelled riserva, the back label states that the grapes comes from the Bricco della Viole-vineyard. Dark brown-red colour. Complex smell. Quite barolo-like. Hints of liquorice, tar, minerals, dried fruit, slight oxidation. Good body in the mouth. Much secondary aromas. Huge concentration which balances it's 14% alc. Also here quite barolo-like scents. Tar and liquorice, minerals, roses. Good acidity, but the structure tells it not nebbiolo with little tannin at the back. Good length. A very good and mature wine.

Arnt Egil Nordlien
Tasting note: Nov-00


The colour of the wine is deep brick-red. Not much bricking and no rim. Complex and great nose with deep cherryish smell and hints of leather and anise and minerally hints of violets and slight tar. Powerful in the mouth. Surprisingly fruity yet. Great concentration balancing it's 14% alc very good. Tremendous cherry and mineral notes. No noticable wood. High acidity that carries through the taste-curve and gives the wine a long finish. Little tannins. The best barbera I ever have tasted. I also had this wine about half a year ago. That bottle had a tarry hint and was much more tired. This bottle could have lived on at least another five years.

Arnt Egil Nordlien
Tasting note: Feb-02


One of the best barberas available. Single-vineyard from the famous bricco delle viole. In the mid 90's Vajra wrote Bricco delle Violo on the label, but was denied doing that, so from the 99 vintage this will be labelled only Barbera d'Alba superiore. Deep brick red colour. Very dark. Complex nose of cherries, roses, almonds, slight anise and wood. Powerful in the mouth. Concentrated and fruity piedmontese with high acidity and low tannins. Still quite fruity and some complexity on the palate. This has probably seen some wood, but is fully integrated. Balancibg it's 14% alcohol perfectly. Good length. Drinking very well now and will probably continue to do so for the next 5 years. Like a fruity nebbiolo but with a totally different structure.

Arnt Egil Nordlien
Tasting note: April-02

To frontpage