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B-21 Top Recommendation
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"...these are Barbarescos that marry classic structure with contemporary polish. It’s a style that is quite successful here. Readers will also want to pay attention to the entry-level offerings, as they are terrific." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
The Paitin estate, owned and operated by the Pesquero-Elia family since 1796, when Benedetto Elia purchased the Sori di Bricco di Neive, known today as the Serraboella Cru that forms the heart of the estate's vineyard parcels. Throughout the centuries, alternating periods of turmoil and triumph saw the family persist and innovate to the present day, under the eighth and ninth generations of family ownership.
Past vintages had developed a solid following at B-21, but changes in importation and distribution put the wines out of reach for us for a while. Now, we're thrilled to announce their triumphant return with this set of outstanding new arrivals. The Barbarescos are the heart and soul of the domaine, with the 2022s already receiving glowing critical praise. The 2022 Barbaresco Basarin notched 96-points from Monica Larner of Wine Advocate for its "noted intensity" and "very beautiful" complexity. The 2022 Barbaresco Serraboella is "another success for Paitin in the vintage ... [an] understated Barbaresco [that] packs quite the punch," according to Antonio Galloni. The pinnacle of the estate's range, the 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Sori Paitin Vecchie Vigne hails from the top of the Serraboella cru with vines over 70 years old. "Haunting from start to finish," this wine stands as a sleeper hit in the collectible Barbaresco sphere with its 97-point score from Decanter. Larner calls it "a special wine that stands apart from its peers," as part of a trio of 95-point scores from Advocate, Vinous, and Spectator.
Complementing the Barbarescos, a trio of value gems shows the estate's wide-ranging capability with any classic Piedmont idiom. The 91-point 2024 Langhe Nebbiolo Starda "prizes grace and fruit transparency," exhibiting "freshness, precision and effortless drinkability." From a plot of 46-year-old vines on white limestone soils south of Alba, the 2025 Dolcetto d'Alba Rivoli offers a fantastic example of this classic Piedmont grape, with "bright, lively red fruit" aromatics and a "sleek, energetic palate." The 2025 Roero Arnies Elisa is likewise "textbook in style ... A really nice value and a great avenue for exploring one of Italy’s classic white grapes."
We'll reiterate how thrilled we are to have Paitin back in the fold, as these are all super-savvy buys in their respective categories that will be welcome additions to any Piedmont lover's collection. |
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The epitome of savoury austerity yet still clean and vibrant, this is haunting from start to finish. A bouquet of porcini mushroom, ginseng, cranberry tea, graphite and orange oil introduces a super-tangy palate which packs sinewy power with profound depth. There is lots of chew yet without hard edges or extra weight, and in all its rigour it still manages to express the graciousness of the vintage. Concluding notes of tar, gravelly road and allspice hint at what is to come. Made only in select years since 1999, Paitin’s Riserva is from a 70+ year-old massal selection at the top of the Serraboella MGA. It sees a classic submerged cap maceration with long ageing in a single 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak cask. Super!
97 points, Michaela Morris, Decanter (Nov 2024)
The Paitin 2020 Barbaresco Serraboella Riserva Sorì Paitin Vecchie Vigne is a special wine that stands apart from its peers. Its distinct character leans into savory aromas of earth, truffle and spice that tie in beautifully with the wine's dark core of fruit. Although the bouquet is very expressive and spicy, the wine produces a lean to medium-bodied texture with powdery dry tannins that give it immediate appeal. You can wait to cellar it longer, but this vintage could ultimately offer more pleasure if consumed in the near term.
95 points, Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (Jan 2025)
The 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Vecchie Vigne is a touch more generous than the 2021 tasted alongside it. Even so, it retains plenty of rigor and vibrancy. Expressive spice notes meld into a core of bright red-toned fruit. This mid-weight Riserva needs a few more years in bottle to be at its very best.
95 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous (Oct 2024)
Intense and aromatic, this red offers cherry, raspberry, floral, iron and underbrush flavors. The vivid acidity and beefy tannins are prominent now, yet there’s viscosity midpalate. In the end, this finds its equilibrium, while the flavors persist on the saturated finish. Best from 2030 through 2047. 154 cases made, 45 cases imported.
95 points, Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator (Apr 2026)
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