"i Paglieri" da Alfredo e Giovanni Roagna Viticoltori Barbaresco Crichet Paje 1979

Bottle 3,918 of 8,200. 13.5%

Selected by Marc De Grazia / Imported by Vino Nobile Imports, IL. It also has an Edward Roberts International Auctions label on it.

It has art on the label - a photo of a sculpture of a nude posing, labeled, dalla Gipsoteca "E. Gonetto" - Cinaglio d' Asti. A casual search didn't return anything on this art.

The Crichet Paje, a subplot or sub selection from the Barbaresco Paje vineyard, was first released in 1978. Before that it was a family project/experiment. It is their flagship wine. The winery suggests to age this 40 (or 50?) years so I'm pretty close. Recently somebody referred to it as the "Monfortino" of Barbaresco and the prices reflect that. Curiously, there is none of this wine for sale pre-1996.

The cork broke but was not stained at all. I was able to use a Durand style cork screw successfully for the first time to get the rest out. I decanted this for 6 hours and it seemed to need it as it continued to get better as we drank it. The last glass was the best. With Roagna I would error on the side of more air.

"Cool, fresh, smooth. Poignant nose. Great balance. Smooth black cherry. Nutty. Tar and roses nose. Chewy / some structure. Sweet. Deep nose. Brisk / acidic. Acidic."

My strong recollection is of the sweetness of the wine. I think this wine could hang on for decades and perhaps improve. I don't think this was really Monfortino-like but given that 1979 wasn't a top vintage and the wines are on the downward slope, mostly, I thought this showed very well, very fresh and full of energy. My wife and I were both impressed, especially given the string of recent mediocre bottles. It must have been stored very well. Certainly the best 1979 Barolo or Barbaresco I've had although that's just a few. Recommended but not at current prices. Drink or hold. Great with brined, roasted pheasant and homemade porcini ravioli.

Thanks
Fraser