2010 Roagna Barbaresco Pajè

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | MAY 02, 2022

Luca Roagna’s 2010 Barbaresco Pajè is one of the Barbarescos we featured in a recent Roagna masterclass that kicked off this year’s La Festa del Piemonte; the other two were the 2014 and 2016 editions. 

From the moment I open the bottle, I know we are in for a treat. Heady Nebbiolo perfume completely fills the room. In my experience, only Barolo and Barbaresco can deliver that kind of aromatic sensory overload. What an experience. 

I usually taste Piedmont wines young, upon release, and then again as older wines, 10-12 years after the vintage. The 2010 Pajè is in a perfect spot where it has lost some of its youthful intensity and tannin, yet remains quite vibrant. Beautifully layered on the palate, the 2010 gets better and better over time as it opens to reveal all the dark, balsamic-tinged notes this site is so famous for. The Roagna wines have become quite pricey, which is why I often suggest readers focus on the Pajè and its sister wine, the Barolo Pira, which remain far more accessible than the smaller production wines. Readers lucky enough to own the 2010 Pajè are in for a treat. Quite simply, it is everything Barbaresco can and should be. I loved it. 96/Drink 2022-2042.