2017 Produttori del Barbaresco Paje Riserva Barbaresco

Pajè is in a small bowl facing South/West and it lies between the village itself and the famous Asili vineyard. The vineyard is slightly lower in altitude and more open to the Tanaro River influence, resulting in a cooler microclimate. The soil is limestone with a high calcium level and as a result the wine combines elegance and complexity with intense tannins; it is never shy in acidity. Pajè appears sharper and brighter in its first years, with lovely youthful fruit and flowery notes, almost minty in cooler vintages and is particularly attractive after some ageing, when the wine still retains a fruitful and fresh palate.

Other Reviews....
The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè is impressive on all fronts, but especially in terms of aromas. There's so much brightness here with red and purple fruits, rust and a dark note of clove or exotic spice. No element is out of place, but together they help to build the intensity of this balanced wine. It shows a soft, velvety texture, and perhaps there is a little more ripeness overall in this warm vintage. Production is 6,666 bottles. Drink 2024 - 2045.
94 points
Monica Larner - Wine Advocate (Jun 2022)

The 2017 Barbaresco Riserva Pajè is a fine choice for readers who enjoy wines of freshness, verve and energy. Dark fruit, menthol, spice, pine and crushed rocks are beautifully delineated. This is an especially chiseled wine in the range of 2017 Riservas. I very much like the balance of richness and vibrancy. In a word: classic. Drink 2027-2039.
94 points
Antonio Galloni - Vinous

Leads with a whiff of freshly mown hay, which leads to cherry, currant, tar and eucalyptus flavors. Linear and chewy, with hints of underbrush and iron on the lingering finish. Best from 2025 through 2042.
93 points
Bruce Sanderson - Wine Spectator

Balsamic aromas of camphor oil and new leather unite with mature dark-skinned fruit. Smooth, full-bodied and offering a weightless concentration, the palate offers raspberry, cherry marinated in spirits and star anise framed in firm, fine-grained tannins that grip the close.
94 points
Kerin O'Keefe - Wine Enthusiast