2004 Barbaresco Crichet Paje
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Tasting notes
(this special bottling, from a 0.5-hectare plot of 65+-year-old vines at the top of the Paje vineyard, was previously made in 2001 and 2002; bottled in August of 2013!): Medium red. Ineffable nose combines plum, mocha, tobacco, humus and truffle. A lush, spicy midweight with uncanny retention of spicy red cherry and redcurrant fruit. Finishes juicy and imploded, with crunchy wild ripe strawberry flavor and outstanding juicy energy. Shows less body than the 2008 Paje Vecchie Vigne but boasts outstanding potential. And it's shockingly youthful for its age.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2004 Barbaresco Crichët Pajé is one of the most refined Crichët Pajés I have ever tasted. Sweet rose petals, spices, red berries and tobacco all waft from the glass in a striking, delicate Barbaresco endowed with silky tannins and fabulous overall balance. Remarkably primary for a wine that is nearly ten years old, the 2004 remains in need of further bottle age. I don't quite see the pure power of vintages such as (2001) or 2002, but the 2004 is quite pretty in its own way.
Served from magnum, the 2004 Barbaresco Crichët Pajé is one of the most surprising wines in tasting because of how much weight it has gained in bottle. The 2004 is powerful, dark and thrilling from the very first taste. Hints of mocha, leather, spice and dried flowers add myriad layers of nuance throughout. What a wine!
About the producer
Roagna is one of Italy’s finest estates, producing top, single-vineyard Nebbiolos in Barbaresco and Barolo. The estate’s Crichët Pajé Barbaresco is one of the rarest fine wine cuvées in Piedmont with fewer than 2,000 bottles produced each year.