Luigi Baudana, `Dragon` Langhe Bianco

Luigi Baudana is a small estate with just over four hectares of vineyard, all in the commune of Serralunga d‘Alba. Their tiny cellar is situated in the village of Baudana, while their vineyards are primarily in the ‘crus’ of Baudana and Cerretta, lending themselves to wines defined by Serralunga’s characteristic power and structure.

After 30 years of running the winery and without heirs to take over the business, Luigi and Fiorina Baudana made the difficult decision to sell. Owing to the vineyards' location in the heart of the ‘golden mile’ of Barolo, Luigi and Fiorina were offered some eye-watering sums of money but wished for the name and estate to continue as is rather than be absorbed into a larger entity.

As part of his research, Luigi visited the G.D. Vajra winery incognito one day. He was so impressed with the estate and philosophy that he rang Aldo soon afterwards to ask if he would be interested in buying the estate. A deal was struck, and the Vajra family have run this estate alongside Luigi and Fiorina ever since. Giuseppe Vajra explains: “we got to understand how those vines had been tendered with so much love for their whole life. It was the legacy of their family. We were able to take on this estate and continue that amazing legacy by making the wines of Luigi Baudana in their original cellar.”

We have tasted the wines every year and watched them improve. The depth of flavour and intensity that comes from the vineyards has remained, but the Vajra touch in the cellar has brought them to a new level.

Their ‘Dragon’ Langhe Bianco is a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon (planted in the north-eastern part of Cerretta by Luigi in the early 1980s) with Nascetta and Riesling from the Vajra vineyards. It is fermented and aged in stainless steel, showing a lovely lift and depth with real interest on the palate. The Barolo ‘Baudana’ (‘the forgotten cru’ as the Vajras call this vineyard) is elegant and intense. While accessible now, its ability to age places it among the best of Serralunga. The Barolo ‘Cerretta’ is even more impressive. It hails from one of Barolo’s great historic vineyards, combining the power and structure derived from Serralunga’s old Helvetian soils (14 million years old) with elegance and sweetness of fruit derived from an elevation of over 300 metres above sea level. These are world-class examples from one of the greatest wine-producing regions in the world.