Variety: Nebbiolo

The G.D. Vajra winery was created in 1972 by Aldo and Milena Vaira, initially from vineyards planted by Aldo’s father in 1947. The winery was named for Aldo’s father, Giuseppe Domenico Vajra, because at the time Aldo was not old enough to establish the winery in his own name. Today the family has 40 hectares under vine in Barolo and other surrounding appellations. Their prized holdings in Bricco delle Viole were planted in 1949 by Aldo’s grandfather. Milena and Aldo’s three children – Giuseppe, Francesca, and Isidoro – are all involved in the family winery operation situated in the village of Vergne. The family is hard-working, passionate, and caring. Their focus is on building something for their children, caring about the community, and cementing the stories of the regions’ past. The family is longtime friends of Hart & Cru. They continue to uphold their passion for quality wine and the people who surround them.

The story of Claré J.C. has unexpected roots from a quote made by Thomas Jefferson. While he was ambassador to France in the 1780s, he spent time in northern Italy. In regards to Nebbiolo, he said, “dry as a claret, sweet and lingering as a Madeira and brisk as a Champagne.” Claret refers to the name for Bordeaux at the time, but the name couldn’t be used due to Bordeaux’s trademark. The style Jefferson would have tried was Chiaretto, a light red from Lake Garda; because Chiaretto is now protected as an appellation , the wine couldn’t take this name either. In the end, the wine was named Claré as a nod to the style it was named for. The ‘J’ refers to Jefferson and the ‘C’ refers to G.B. Croce—a winemaker from the 17th century who wrote a book outlining winemaking techniques in Piedmont. As you can see, this bottle takes inspiration from the past; it is focused on the winemaking technique versus terroir, a different yet successful interpretation from the Vajra family.