2002 Barbaresco Crichet Paje

The 2002 Barbaresco Crichet Paje is breathtaking. Roagna had the patience to look beyond the cold, wet summer and early fall. The Nebbiolo harvest took place in late October. For the risk, Roagna was rewarded with one of the greatest Barbareschi made in the last decade, perhaps longer. The 2002 Crichet Paje is a towering effort and a tribute to the greatness of Nebbiolo. It is a pure, dazzling wine with no hard edges, no signs whatsoever of greenness and a seamless expression of fruit. Layers of red fruit emerge effortlessly from this deep, powerful wine. The 2002 Crichet Paje is miraculously pure, with a freshness and vibrancy that is unbelievable. There is more than enough underlying structure to support many years and decades of fine drinking. Simply put, this is a heroic effort from Luca Roagna. As the saying goes, no guts, no glory. There are plenty of guts here. Roagna deserves every bit of praise he will receive for this stratospheric Barbaresco. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2032. You never know what to expect from Luca Roagna. That is one of the reasons a visit can’t possibly be boring, there are just too many new things to absorb with seemingly every tasting. Some things don’t change, however, including a decidedly traditional approach to vineyard work and winemaking which emphasizes late harvests, the use of natural yeasts and extended barrel aging. Roagna fans will be sad to learn that the estate recently lost access to the fruit they had been working with from Vigna Rionda. A few Riservas from that site are still aging in the cellar, but 2006 will be the last vintage of Roagna Riondas. In exchange, Roagna has a new Barolo from the Le Coste vineyard in Monforte. That wine appears to still be a work in progress. Everything else I tasted was superb, including the 2002 Barbaresco Crichet Paje. Readers should be aware that because of the limited production of many of these wines (including the 2002 Crichet Paje) Roagna has decided to release the wines as a mixed case of 12 bottles. Some of the single wines will naturally be harder to source on their own. Readers who want to learn more about Roagna may want to take a look at my recent video interview on www.erobertparker.com Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191

The 2002 Barbaresco Crichët Pajé is dazzling. Exotic, ripe and nuanced, the 2002 captures the best that was possible in this cold, late-ripening vintage. Kirsch, leather, tobacco, incense, dried flowers, mocha, cedar and menthol infuse the palate with striking depth and complexity. Crichët Pajé is a rare triumph in this very challenging, rainy year.