2011 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin

Giovanni Pasquero-Elia describes 2012 as a year with higher average temperatures than 2011, but with a cooler September, echoing comments I heard elsewhere. The just-bottled 2011s are rich, ample wines. Yields are down, partly because of the warm final phase of ripening, which caused some dehydration. Paitin's 2012s are a bit more slender than the 2011s and currently show lovely brightness. The qualitative improvements at Paitin over the last few years continue to be notable, something that was driven home when I tasted the 2003 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin Vigne Vecchie, a wine that has little in common with the wines that are being made here today. Paitin makes three Barbarescos, all from estate vineyards in the Serraboella district within Bricco di Neive, itself a subdivision of Neive.

I am just as excited about Paitin's new releases as I was last year. The devil is in the details, and nowhere is that more apparent than at this venerable, family-run estate in the Bricco di Neive frazione of Neive proper. Consulting oenologist Dante Scaglione's contributions have been really more fine-tuning, yet it is remarkable to see how much those small changes can impact quality. A little more attention to sorting and greater attention in choosing oak and casks are just some of the developments that have taken place here over the last few years. Today the casks are switched out with greater frequency, with newer casks being used for the top wines and older, more neutral oak being employed for the simpler wines in the range. The 2010s have turned out as I had expected, but the 2011s are also hugely promising. Giovanni and Silvano Pasquero Elia told me 2011 looked a lot like 2009 right after the fermentations, but has since taken a completely different path. Tasting the 2011s, they seem sweet, polished and absolutely impeccable, partly because the estate is taking more care in how seeds are removed during the fermentations. These are going to be joyous wines to follow.

I am just as excited about Paitin's new releases as I was last year. The devil is in the details, and nowhere is that more apparent than at this venerable, family-run estate in the Bricco di Neive frazione of Neive proper. Consulting oenologist Dante Scaglione's contributions have been really more fine-tuning, yet it is remarkable to see how much those small changes can impact quality. A little more attention to sorting and greater attention in choosing oak and casks are just some of the developments that have taken place here over the last few years. Today the casks are switched out with greater frequency, with newer casks being used for the top wines and older, more neutral oak being employed for the simpler wines in the range. The 2010s have turned out as I had expected, but the 2011s are also hugely promising. Giovanni and Silvano Pasquero Elia told me 2011 looked a lot like 2009 right after the fermentations, but has since taken a completely different path. Tasting the 2011s, they seem sweet, polished and absolutely impeccable, partly because the estate is taking more care in how seeds are removed during the fermentations. These are going to be joyous wines to follow.