The modern era of Barbaresco began with the founding of the Produttori in 1958. Before that, small growers struggled to survive, selling to merchants (mostly on the other side of the Langhe in Barolo) for inclusion in their house blends.
 
But there were a few estates, including Gaja, that estate-bottled their wines before the Produttori. One of the very earliest was the Pasquero-Elia family’s Paitin, which produced its first vintage of Barbaresco Sori’ Paitin for sale in 1893, about the same time as Biondi-Santi’s early vintages.
 
But while Gaja and Biondi-Santi have become world-famous, Paitin has remained largely undiscovered … and under-priced. But after Dante Scaglione (longtime Giacosa enologist) began to work with the estate in 2010, its star has risen. And its only a matter of time before it’s prices rise as well.
 
With demand for traditionally made Barolo and Barbaresco also rising, this is an excellent time to take a look at Paitin. And there’s no better place to start than with Scaglione-made vintages that already have some age on them.
 
To that end, we can offer Scaglione’s powerful 2010 Sori’ Paitin and Sori’ Paitin Vecchie Vigne, and his lovely 2012 Barbaresco Serra, which Galloni calls "sexy, supple and radiant." And, to get a perspective on Paitin’s origins, we’ve uncovered some very rare Sori’ Paitin from one of the greatest vintages of modern times, 1978.

Pursuing Greatness

Grown atop the Bricco di Neive ridge, the Paitin Barbarescos have been prized by the cognoscente for more than a century for their structure and balance.
 
They’ve been particularly admired during the tenure of Secondo Pasquero-Elia, who took charge of Patin in 1965, building a fine reputation for the estate’s wines while passing his knowledge on to his sons Giovanni and Silvano.
 
But in the spring of 2010, Giovanni decided to enlist Scaglione, his old friend and Alba enology school classmate, to elevate Paitin to the Barbaresco elite. And among the first things Dante did was to return the estate to such old school practices as cappello sommerso fermentation and aging in Slavonian oak botti rather than barrique.
 
The results were immediate and striking. And they’ve gone from strength to strength since.
 
This Offer
Our offer begins with the beautiful 2012 Paitin Barbaresco Serra, which proves yet again that great, classic Barbaresco can be had at bargain prices. In the purity of its aromatics, classic structure and sheer deliciousness, it’s a wine that captures the best of this elegant vintage. 
 
We can also offer Paitin’s brilliant 2010s: magnums of the flagship Barbaresco Sori’ Paitin and the Barbaresco Vecchie Vigne, a special selection from Sori’ Paitin’s oldest vines.
 
Lastly, we have a handful of pristine bottles of one of Secondo’s greatest wines, the 1978 Barbaresco Sori’ Paitin. This is, of course, from one of the legendary vintages of the past half-century, and Pasquero-Elia made the most of it in a Barbaresco of surreal concentration and complexity.