“There is a red wine of Nebiule (Nebbiolo) made in this neighborhood which is very singular. It is about as sweet as the silky Madeira, as astringent on the palate as Bordeaux, and as brisk as Champagne. It is a pleasing wine.” – Thomas Jefferson ~ 1787
A few years ago, Darrell Corti of the venerable Corti Brothers market in Sacramento, a great friend and one of the original American supporters of the wines of Aldo Vaira, brought the quote by Thomas Jefferson to his attention. Giuseppe Vaira, Aldo, and the whole family were intrigued by the challenge put forth by Darrell Corti to make a wine like that of 250 years ago. So after much trial and error, G.D. Vajra has come out with a wine that is in the spirit of Thomas Jefferson (the J. in the Claret J.C.) with help and inspiration from Darrell Corti (the C. in the Claret J.C.).
The wine is 100% Nebbiolo, made in the Metodo Ancestrale, meaning fermentation starts in the tank on the skins and finishes in the bottle and is thus a sparkling wine. Slightly off-dry, high in acid, fully red and slightly tannic from the Nebbiolo grape, this wine is fresh and lively in the mouth but finishes with finesse and length. Meant to take a chill, it is best paired with Italian salumi or any dish that needs a good acidic wine with grip to clear the palate.