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Paitin

The Pasquero-Elia family has owned the Paitin winery since 1796, with records of their family's roots even pre-dating that.  As lovers of Piedmont's wines know, there is something to be said about the longstanding, traditional producers of the region, who are basically the forefathers or "kings" of this region.  And rightfully so, their wines are the reason for the success Piedmont, whom many have tried to emulate through the years.  Paitin is a staunchly traditional producer from Barbaresco, with over 200 years of winemaking lineage, with vineyard holdings in Barbaresco's greatest commune, Neive.  Neive is home to some great vineyards.  One, Santa Stefano, which has been made famous by none other than Bruno Giacosa.  The other is the Serraboella cru, which is the heart of the Paitin estate.  The terroir and sandy soils of their vines give some of the most perfumed and outrageous aromas of any wines in the area.

I tasted through a current lineup on new releases from Paitin last week and fell in love with these wines. Paitin stands out--hands down. Which is something extremely difficult to do in Piedmont. Theres a lift and joy to their wines, and while there is weight and concentration, the aromas are more enveloping than so many other producers I have tried.  They are fun, but serious as well, with deep dark red and black fruits intertwines with flowers and super interesting notes like wintergreen, aipne herbs, and star anise.  The purity of fruit here at Paitin is striking. A Traditional producer, yes, but somewhat flashy at the same time.  From the Langhe Nebbiolo up to the Barbaresco Serraboella, I found these wines to be absolutely delicious.  They are inviting, complex, joyous, and even at this young stage, a pleasure to drink now, or cellar for some time.

The Langhe Nebbiolo is hard to even be called an entry level wine--it was gorgeous, vivid bright red,  fruit forward, perfumed aromatics of crushed rose petals and red berries with just enough tannin to balance the soft fruit.   The Serra Boella Barbaresco 2020 was unbelievably supple and complex--offering notes of wintergreen, spice, intense red fruits, a huge, floral aromatics.  it almost does not need any cellaring at all, you don't need any patience with this one.

Even as Nebbiolo reigns supreme in Barolo and Barbaresco, Dolcetto and Barbera have rightfully earned their place at the table and in the cellar.  And while the goal for Dolcetto and Barbera is to make an easy-drinking, unassuming wine that can be consumed while the Nebbiolo is aging, there are some producers whose wines stand above the rest.  Paitin is no doubt one of them. Each year there is a clamoring for the Dolcetto and Barbera from the icons like Giacomo Conterno and Giusseppe Mascarello, at $60-$80 you can drink a wine from these greats, for a quarter the price of their Barolo.  But never will you be able to drink a wine of that quality for $20. Enter Sori Paitin's Barbera, hands down one of the best values on the planet year after year. The fruit is generous if not lush, with lots of wild aromas of mixed red and dark fruits, flowers, earth and spice.  The palate is giving, long, wonderfully textured, bold, serious enough to age, and impossible not to want to pop and pour with your next steak or red-sauced meal.

At this price, this is a no brainer wine to drink now or lay down for even just the short term.  I know this is going to be a go-to house wines for us here at the shop.

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