Barbaresco Pajè DOCG 2020

Roagna | Piedmont
Az. Agr. I Paglieri | Loc. Paglieri 9 | IT 12050 Barbaresco

What does a name mean? In the Piedmontese dialect, "Pajè" once simply referred to the various vineyard parcels – an everyday word for everyday things. The fact that this name now stands for one of the most legendary crus of Barbaresco is one of the beautiful ironies of wine history. The Roagna family has been cultivating 1.83 hectares here in the heart of the municipality since 1953, and anyone who asks Luca Roagna about the core of his work will inevitably end up here. The vineyard is a natural amphitheatre: gently sloping to the south and south-west, protected from the wind by hills and open to the Tanaro valley. The soil tells of 70 million years of – marine sediments from the Tertiary period, interspersed with active limestone in a concentration that is exceptional even for the Langhe. The vines, on average over 50 years old, are deeply rooted in this history. After the harvest, the must ferments with its own yeasts and macerates for up to two months with a submerged cap. Five years in large wooden barrels and concrete complete the maturation process.

Dense cherry red in the glass, more youthful than its siblings, with a light-coloured core. The nose combines roasted hazelnut and light-coloured coffee with cherry, rosehip and wild raspberry, topped with white pepper, dried herbs and a hint of light tobacco. On the palate, the tannin that makes Roagna unmistakable: delicate and yet omnipresent, it lines the mouth without ever being overpowering. Undergrowth, moss and porcini mushroom intertwine with almond and a hint of white truffle before the fruit returns late and almost shyly – wild cherry, barberry, an echo of pine needles. A Barbaresco of monumental stillness, whose greatness comes from texture, not volume. SUPERIORE.DE

"In this multi-faceted red wine, aromas of rose petals meet earth and spicy undergrowth notes. Flavours of strawberry and cherry form the middle section, while a strong acidity and sinewy tannins support the taste. In the end, this wine is long and elegant, with a lingering aftertaste of ripe cherries." Wine Spectator

"The 2020 Barbaresco Pajè opens with deeply pitched spice and menthol notes to play off a core of vibrant red Nebbiolo fruit. It offers lovely inner perfume and sweetness wrapped up in firm, sinewy tannins that frame it all. This is a fabulous young Barbaresco—a classically youthful wine that just needs time to emerge. In many ways, it embodies the natural reticence that is such a strong part of the local culture." Vinous