Barbaresco Pajè Riserva DOCG 2021

Produttori del Barbaresco | Piedmont
Produttori del Barbaresco s.a.c. | Via Torino 54 | IT 12050 Barbaresco

05132421 · 0,75 l · 84,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

The area is just under two hectares. Pajè is the smallest of all nine Produttori del Barbaresco vineyards – and yet, or perhaps precisely because of this, it bears one of the most striking signatures of the entire range: a freshness that never fades. The site lies to the south-west of the village, slightly lower than its higher-lying neighbours and more open towards the Tanaro. The influence of the river gives it a cooler microclimate; the soil is calcareous with veins of sand that drain well. In cooler vintages, a slight mint flavour can be detected that is rarely found elsewhere in Barbaresco. First produced in 1967 – then as a special label for the "Cavalieri del Tartufo" –since 1982 in the regular vintage. The vinification follows the basic principle of the co-operative: 28 days of maceration, thirty months or more in large wooden barrels, one year in the bottle.

2021 brings Pajè to his limits – and thus to itself. The frost in April also decimated this parcel; the harvest was small, the ripeness complete. The result is not a soft, early accessible Pajè, but one that shows the potential of this site under extreme conditions: dark spice tones, balsamic notes, intense fruit, a tannin structure that is perceived as a broadside – and which only opens up with age. A Pajè for collectors and the patient; for the big moment when the knot is untied. SUPERIORE.DE

"Aromas of mint and menthol characterise this opulent red wine, whose black cherry and blackberry fruit permeates the fleshy texture. There are also flavours of tar, iron and wild thyme, supported by a range of dense tannins on the finish. Balanced, but will still need time to integrate." Wine Spectator

"The Barbaresco Riserva Pajè 2021 is a deep, dense wine. Strong spicy and balsamic notes envelop a core of dark fruit. The Pajè is a brooding, dense powerhouse that needs a few more years to develop its full expressiveness. Time in the glass will bring out its complex, dynamic personality and the full breadth of the wine." Vinous

"On the nose, this complex red wine shows astonishing depth with dried violets and roses, heady balsamic, strawberries, cherries and an unmistakable leafy lightness with a hint of mint. Elegant on the attack, with ripe, velvety and tightly woven tannins. Rich in extract and flavour with refreshing acidity, stony minerality and liquorice on the very persistent, multi-layered finish. It will last for decades." James Suckling