Winemaker Notes
The name Vecchie Vigne was attributed to the Sori Paitin in 1999 when the plants reached the 45th year of age, only produced in few vintages.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
With fruit from ancient vines, the Paitin 2019 Barbaresco Riserva Serraboella Sorì Paitin has a sharp and chiseled bouquet with lots of small-fruit definition, crushed stone, licorice and pressed rose. There's nice intensity and harmony here, and the wine is quite direct from the start. The acidity is present and so are the tannins, albeit polished, with tart almost unripe fruit that sets up a long runway for more bottle aging. This Riserva sees up to 45 days of skin contact during fermentation and ages in large Slavonian oak casks for an extended 30 months.
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Wine Enthusiast
The Vecchie Vigne, a selection of massale clones the family started between 1948 and 1953, is a testament to their centuries-old connection to these hills, farming them since 1796. This wine is their story in a bottle, opening with enthralling aromas of wild rose, strawberry preserves and freshly ground spices. Elegance is the wine’s soul, with each sip providing depth, nuance and excitement, like a book you can’t put down. Graceful tannins and lifting acidity support an array of flavors that could fill their own tome. A magnificent Barbaresco to savor from 2026 onward.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
This red delivers expressive cherry and strawberry fruit, with a vibrant structure and opulent texture. Still leans to the austere side, with wild herb, mineral and menthol accents aligned to a chalky sensation on the lingering finish. Patience required. Best from 2026 through 2042.
Rating: 95+
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.