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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