Introduction: The Dragon is a genuinely distinctive wine — a Piedmontese field blend with origins in the 1980s, when Luigi Baudana planted Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in the cooler northeast shoulder of the Cerretta vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba. When the Vajra family assumed stewardship of the tiny Baudana estate in 2009 — after Luigi and Fiorina Baudana, having no heirs, entrusted it to Aldo Vajra — they kept the tradition alive and deepened it, adding Nascetta (the rare Langhe heirloom variety grown on the Vajra estate in Novello) and a touch of Riesling. Italian artist Gianni Gallo drew the Dragon label as a symbol of courage, honoring the Vajras' guardianship of Luigi Baudana's legacy.

Terroir: The Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are planted mid-slope on the northeast face of Cerretta Piani in Serralunga d'Alba, where a natural fold in the slope creates a cooler microclimate ideal for white varieties. Below the thin topsoil lies 14-million-year-old Helvetian soil — one of the oldest conglomerates in all of Piedmont — delivering striking mineral tension and saline character. The Nascetta comes from the Vajra estate in Novello, birthplace of the variety, at the top of the Ravera hill at 370–430 meters above sea level. The 2024 vintage was challenging — late spring frost in April and abundant rainfall followed, requiring attentive canopy management — but ultimately yielded wines of genuine freshness and energy.

Appearance: Brilliant light yellow with greenish reflections — luminous, clean, and inviting in the glass.

Nose: Fresh and lifted — kiwi, lime zest, and pear open the bouquet with energy, followed by hawthorn blossom, white peach, elderflower, and candied orange peel. Underneath the fruit runs a thread of flinty, sea-stone minerality that is the unmistakable signature of the ancient Helvetian soils. The Nascetta's herbal aromatic character and the Riesling's citrus precision add layers that no single variety could deliver alone.

Palate: Balanced, juicy, and beautifully structured — citrus, orchard fruit, and macerated elderflower flow across the palate, energized by vibrant, almost electric acidity. The stainless steel aging preserves every layer of freshness intact, and the finish carries a striking saline, mineral quality that lingers far beyond the fruit. The interplay between Chardonnay's creaminess, Sauvignon Blanc's edge, Nascetta's herbal lift, and Riesling's precision creates a genuinely compelling whole.

Finish: Crisp, mineral, and saline — flinty stoniness and citrus zest sustaining a clean, focused close of medium-plus length. Mouthwatering and energetic to the very end.

Food Pairings:
🥩 Meat: Roasted chicken with herbs and lemon, grilled branzino with capers and olives, or vitello tonnato
🥦 Vegetarian: Insalata di riso with fresh herbs, asparagus and soft-boiled egg with vinaigrette, or a light vegetable risotto
🧀 Charcuterie Board: Fresh chèvre, young Mozzarella di Bufala, Feta, smoked salmon, and green olives

Overall Impression: The 2024 Dragon is a quietly extraordinary Piedmontese white — a historically rooted field blend that manages to feel completely original, carried forward by the Vajra family with both fidelity to Luigi Baudana's vision and their own cool, mineral winemaking touch. Certified organic, unoaked, and strikingly food-friendly. Serve well-chilled at 48–52°F; drink now through 2027.

Alcohol by Volume (ABV %): 13%
Farming Practices: Certified organic; no irrigation; natural turf cover maintained in vineyards; traditional pruning with Guyot mixed trellising system; green harvest decided vintage by vintage; hand-harvested
Producer Name: Luigi Baudana / G.D. Vajra (Vajra family, stewards since 2009; vinified in the original Baudana cellar, Serralunga d'Alba)
Old World / New World: Old World
Country of Origin: Italy
Region:Langhe DOC — Serralunga d'Alba (Cerretta Piani) and Novello (Ravera hill), Piedmont; 370–430 meters above sea level
Grape Varietals: Chardonnay 56%, Nascetta 18%, Sauvignon Blanc 18%, Riesling 8% Vintage: 2024
Wine Style: Dry White — Light-to-medium-bodied, mineral-driven, and aromatic, with a unique Piedmontese field-blend character shaped by ancient Helvetian soils, certified organic farming, and stainless steel vinification. Vibrant, saline, and genuinely food-versatile. 
Winemaking Techniques: Hand-harvested; whole-cluster gentle pressing; co-fermentation of all varieties; fermentation in vertical vats at low temperature for up to 12 days; aged entirely in stainless steel; no oak contact; certified organic; unoaked
Pack Size: 750ml
Container Style: Glass bottle
Closure Style: Cork