G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo Clare J.C. 2017

Wine maker notes
Produced with grapes from younger vines, Clare J.C.is a 100% Nebbiolo vinification. The winemaking protocol follows the 1606 writings of Gian Battista Croce.

This fruity, fresh-tasting wine harkens back to what Barolo was in Thomas Jefferson’s day. The “J” in G.D. Vajra 2017 Langhe Claré J.C. Nebbiolo ($25) actually refers to Jefferson, who wrote one of the earliest tasting notes on Barolo, describing something quite different from what we now consider Italy’s most noble red.

(The “C” in the name is for wine merchant and historian Darrell Corti, who brought the original style to the attention of Giuseppe Vajra, scion of one of Piedmont’s leading winemaking families.) Despite the J.C. Claré’s lighter, slightly sparkling style, there is no mistaking Nebbiolo’s tar-and-roses character, which makes it perfect with charcuterie.