2025 Vajra, G. D. - Langhe Nebbiolo DOC Clare JC (750ml)

G.D. Vajra is a family estate in Vergne, a hamlet of Barolo, that has farmed the celebrated Bricco delle Viole cru since the 1880s. Aldo Vajra took over the family farm in the late 1960s and went on to become one of the earliest organic growers in Piedmont, securing certification in 1971 and building a reputation for meticulous, low-intervention viticulture. His son Giuseppe later collaborated with the noted Italian wine authority Darrell Corti to revive a nearly forgotten style of Nebbiolo once described by Thomas Jefferson during his travels through the region, giving rise to the Claré JC project.

Claré JC is made entirely from Nebbiolo grown on Vajra's younger vines, using what the estate calls its Metodo Ancestrale. About a fifth of the clusters go into the vat whole, triggering spontaneous fermentation, and the wine then finishes malolactic fermentation in a sealed tank, trapping a small amount of natural carbon dioxide. The result is bottled young with only brief aging, preserving a wine that finishes lightly frizzante, just as most reds would have before modern stabilization techniques existed.

The wine pours a bright ruby red and offers candied cherry, wild strawberry, orange blossom, and a touch of spice, with fresh mint and crunchy red fruit on the palate. Light-bodied, dry, and gently sparkling, it's best served with a slight chill alongside grilled meats, smoked charcuterie, or aged cheese.