2012 Vajra Freisa Kyè

We drank this wine on New Year's Eve when our son and daughter-in-law were visiting from Seattle. My husband made slow cooked beef short ribs. The color of the wine was clear garnet and there was a nice aroma of red raspberries and dark cherries. There was a good deal of fruit flavor backed with a nice acidity, which was a perfect foil for the slightly fatty short ribs.
We have had several other wines made by Vajra, 2012 Vajra Riesling, 2009 G.D. Vajra Barbera d'Alba, and 2009 Vajra Barolo, all of which we enjoyed.
The Freisa grape is grown in the Langhe region of the Piedmonte. In reading Wine Grapes, by Robinson, et al., I learned that the Freisa grape is related to Nebbiolo.
I learned more about the 2012 Vajra Freisa Kyè on Liberty Wines. Here are the vinification notes:
The destemming and elimination of the most acidic parts along with the greenest tannins, is an essential practice for this variety. Fermentation lasted approximately two weeks, at temperatures no higher than 28-30ºC, allowing the tannins to become well integrated. For this rather wild variety, malolactic fermentation is equally important. The wine was aged for 12-18 months in Slavonian oak barrels and barriques, giving necessary balance to the wine. This wine contains 6.5 g/L acidity and 3.1 g/L residual sugar.
References:
1. J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz, Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours, pg 367-368, Allen Lane 2012 ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2.