Winemaker Notes
Basarin is among the most fascinating hills of the Langhe, its grandeur makes it so attractive. Ever since famed vineyard of the village of Neve, exposition to South, from which it derives its name that means "kissed by the sun." Very steep, at the crossroads of the three villages of Neive Treiso and Barbaresc, it leads to spiced, fine and elegant wines. Became famous through the priest of Neive, that among many vineyards he selected the grapes from Basarin and Gallina to make his best Barbaresco. In the years many other producers claimed this vineyard, from 2018 it has become part of Paitin's production. The alter-ego of Serraboella, this wine plays his strength through its slenderness full of character.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Paitin 2018 Barbaresco Basarin, which spends two years in large oak barrels, pours to a lean appearance and a dark ruby hue. The wine is subtle and fine, prizing the delicate and ethereal nuances of the grape, with dried cherry, crushed flowers, campfire ash and iron ore. Crushed white pepper also appears. The Basarin cru in Neive is one of the most beautiful in the appellation, located on a hill that rises high enough to enjoy the surrounding panorama of tightly planted vineyards. The tannins are especially polished in this vintage.
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James Suckling
Dried cherry and red berry with spice and a hint of jaffa cake. Medium-bodied with tight, fine tannins that firm up as the palate progresses. Lovely fruit intensity and a tight finish. Best from 2025.
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Wine Spectator
A supple and elegant Barbaresco, graced by ripe cherry, strawberry and floral aromas and flavors, with hay, eucalyptus and licorice accents adding interest. This is fresh and firms up on the finish. Best from 2023 through 2038.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
A wine that most perfectly conveys the spirit and essence of its place, Barbaresco is true reflection of terroir. Its star grape, like that in the neighboring Barolo region, is Nebbiolo. Four townships within the Barbaresco zone can produce Barbaresco: the actual village of Barbaresco, as well as Neive, Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio.
Broadly speaking there are more similarities in the soils of Barbaresco and Barolo than there are differences. Barbaresco’s soils are approximately of the same two major soil types as Barolo: blue-grey marl of the Tortonion epoch, producing more fragile and aromatic characteristics, and Helvetian white yellow marl, which produces wines with more structure and tannins.
Nebbiolo ripens earlier in Barbaresco than in Barolo, primarily due to the vineyards’ proximity to the Tanaro River and lower elevations. While the wines here are still powerful, Barbaresco expresses a more feminine side of Nebbiolo, often with softer tannins, delicate fruit and an elegant perfume. Typical in a well-made Barbaresco are expressions of rose petal, cherry, strawberry, violets, smoke and spice. These wines need a few years before they reach their peak, the best of which need over a decade or longer. Bottle aging adds more savory characteristics, such as earth, iron and dried fruit.