Aroma of tobacco, nuts and black cherry, with balsamic notes. Very subtle, both on the nose and in the mouth, where the wine is very fresh, elegant and refined from the beginning to the end. The silky tannins leave your mouth with a clear sensation of having cleaned it. I tend to be skeptical of the theories about pairing wine with food. I learned quite a bit about them during my sommelier courses 15 years ago, but I personally prefer to enjoy wine separately from food.
While eating I have problems judging a wine and, with the exception for extremes, I find that any wine pretty much fits any food.
The only wines that I really prefer to enjoy while eating are the Nebbiolo based Barbaresco and Barolo, the reason being the mouth cleaning sensation that they give after every sip, as if to reset and prepare the mouth for the next bite.
Barbaresco is one of those terroir wines, where unique expressions come in good part from small differences in the subsoil. This is one reason why the area of origin of the grapes is clearly displayed on the label. In the case of this wine Pajè, the historical single vineyard wine produced by Roagna, a winery that is completely run by family members. The Roagna cultivate very old grapevines, with often more than 50 years, whose roots go down into many different sedimentary layers, where they draw unique nutrients that give the wine distinct characteristics.
The Roagna cultivate the grapevine according to biodynamic principles and with maximum respect for the territory. The wine follows a very long maceration of sixty to one-hundred days and ageing is done in traditional large oak casks. No barrique is used. The staves are bent using steam instead of toasting, assuring neutrality in the flavour. The wine mature for at least five year at the winery and only the lowest levels of sulphur possible is used.
The result are wines with structure and complexity.
Roagna Pajè is site specific and sells for more than 80 CHF. I recently drank a bottle of the Roagna Langhe Rosso 2010 that sells for 30 CHF. Although less refined, I enjoyed this bottle as well.
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont
Grapes: Nebbiolo
Type: Red
Vintage: 2010
Producer: Roagna
Price range: Extra (50-100 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 4/5