2021 Sottimano - Barbaresco Pajore

The 2021 Sottimano Barbaresco Pajore delivers a refined expression of Piedmont’s Nebbiolo, combining the vintage’s characteristic elegance with the producer’s commitment to extended maceration and neutral Slavonian oak aging.

Cultivated on the limestone and clay slopes of the Pajore cru, this single-vineyard cuvée ferments with native yeasts and rests for approximately two years in large wooden botti that impart no foreign wood influence. The 2021 growing season in the Langhe favored gradual sugar accumulation and sustained acid retention, producing a wine built for approachability without sacrificing structure. Aromatically, it opens with crushed rose, dried violet, and red cherry, transitioning to leather, tobacco, and wet stone on the palate. Fine tannins line the mouth gently, anchoring a medium body that remains vivid and focused through the finish.

This profile aligns closely with traditional Piedmontese cooking. Serve it with delicate meat sauces like tajarin agnolotti filled with roasted pork or wild boar ragù, where its herbal lift cuts through richness. It also pairs reliably with braised veal shanks, fontina-covered polenta, and dishes featuring foraged mushrooms or truffle shavings. For optimal enjoyment, decant thirty minutes before pouring to integrate suspended sediment and soften the early tannic edge. Store unopened bottles horizontally at 55°F in a humidity-controlled environment. The wine displays peak concentration and aromatic complexity between ten and fifteen years from corking, gradually developing deeper forest floor and garrigue nuances past that window.