Roagna's 2012 Barbaresco Pajé opens with striking aromatics. Spice, leather, sweet tobacco, hard candy and dried cherry notes lift from the glass, but it is the purity and sweetness of the fruit that really stands out. The decision to shorten the amount of time the wines spent in barrel is evident in the wine's freshness. Polished tannins give the 2012 tons of near and medium term appeal. What a gorgeous wine this is.

This is beginning to hit a sweet spot, evoking ripe cherry and strawberry flavors, shaded by licorice, tar and wild herb flavors. There is a sweetness midpalate that offsets the mouthcoating, well-integrated tannins. A savory, minerally element graces the finish. Decant now or age a few more years. Best from 2020 through 2035. BS