Winemaker Notes
This 7.5 acre vineyard is close to Asili, but is located on a different ridge. At a lower altitude, the vineyard receives a cool wind from the Tanaro river and has higher calcium levels in its soil. The higher acidity in this wine allows it to better retain its fresh character as it ages.
Pairs well with fresh egg pastas, risottos, whiite meats, red meats, venison and cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Forest berry, chopped mint, clove and new leather aromas take center stage on this elegant, full-bodied red. The savory, smooth palate doles out succulent red cherry, raspberry compote and licorice while vibrant acidity and tightly knit, refined tannins provide balance and support. It has great energy and is loaded with flavor but will be even better with a few more years aging. Drink 2020–2038.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Cherry, floral and wild herb aromas and flavors are the hallmarks of this elegant, tensile red. Silky, yet with plenty of tannins underneath, giving overall balance and length. Shows lovely freshness. Best from 2023 through 2036.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè is another expression (similar to the Barbaresco Riserva Pora) that falls onto the more immediate and approachable side of the drinking spectrum. This near or medium-term Barbaresco opens to fresh aromas of wild cherry and forest fruit with subtle touches of spice and grilled herb. The wine's aromas are delivered with direct, vertical intensity. Indeed, the mouthfeel is equally focused and precise. Pajè offers a robust, dark appearance with soft tannins that caress the palate.
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.