Produttori del Barbaresco's Barbaresco Riserva 'Pajé' 2020 captures the energy and richness of a warm yet beautifully balanced growing season. It's a single-vineyard Nebbiolo from the tiny Pajé cru in Barbaresco, Piedmont. A complex bouquet of wild rose, dark cherry and orange peel sits over fine-grained, chalky tannin and lively acidity, with a long, mineral finish. It was rated 96 POINTS by Jeb Dunnuck, and it's a wine for someone who loves Barbaresco with real perfume.
Crushed violet and balsamic herbs, eucalyptus and white pepper, layer over the wine's savoury core, with leather adding a darker, spicier edge as it opens in the glass. The tannin is fine and chalky rather than gripping, and the finish runs long, energetic and mineral-driven.
This shows the more perfumed, floral side of Produttori del Barbaresco's single-vineyard Riservas, wrapped around real structure. It rewards an hour or so in the decanter, and it's the kind of Barbaresco we'd pour with a mushroom risotto or a good venison dish.
Just 13,000 bottles of the Pajé Riserva are made each vintage, from one of Produttori del Barbaresco's smallest crus: regular commercial production began in 1982.
What it tastes like
The nose opens with wild rose and crushed violet over dark cherry and orange peel, with a herbal, spice-driven lift and a savoury edge developing as it sits in the glass. It's one of the more overtly floral wines in Produttori del Barbaresco's single-vineyard range, true to Pajé's reputation for scent and freshness.
The palate is elegant and intensely savoury, with fine-grained, chalky tannin and lively acidity that gives real lift through the middle. The finish is long and mineral-driven, with real verticality.
It's a perfumed, energetic Barbaresco built around finesse rather than sheer power.
Style at a glance
- Body: Medium to full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: High
- Tannin: Fine-grained, chalky
- Oak: Large oak casks (botti); adds structure without masking the perfume
- Style: Floral, savoury and elegant
Food to enjoy this with
- Fresh egg pasta, such as tajarin with a light meat ragù
- Risotto, especially with mushroom or truffle
- Roast white meat, such as chicken or veal
- Grilled or roasted red meat
- Game birds
- Venison, a classic match for a perfumed Barbaresco like this one
Who makes it
Produttori del Barbaresco is a growers' cooperative based in the village of Barbaresco, founded in 1958 by a parish priest who brought together 19 struggling local growers. It has grown to around 60 members, many of whom farm some of Barbaresco's best vineyard sites. Its everyday Barbaresco is regarded as one of Italy's great wine values, and in the best vintages it also bottles up to nine single-vineyard Riservas from its finest crus.
The Pajé cru is one of Barbaresco's smallest sites, just 1.8 hectares in a sheltered south-west-facing bowl between the village and the neighbouring Asili cru. Its cooler position near the Tanaro River and high-calcium limestone soil help give the wine its floral lift and fresh, almost minty edge in cooler vintages.
Produttori del Barbaresco works with minimal intervention, aiming to let each cru speak for itself. A first, commemorative Pajé bottling was made in 1967, with regular commercial production beginning in 1982, and it remains one of nine crus that becomes a Riserva only in strong vintages.
For the 2020 vintage, the Pajé grapes fermented at 30°C with 28 days on the skins, and malolactic fermentation finished before the wine went into large oak casks, where it aged for a minimum of 30 months before bottling in June.
About the vintage
The 2020 growing season in Barbaresco brought plenty of rain and warm, humid conditions through the year, with a real heat spike at the end of July and into August. The grapes still ripened evenly, and the tannins came in refined rather than harsh.
Decanter rated 2020 a very good vintage for Barbaresco, describing the best wines as round, generous and well balanced, after a run of trickier years: a dry 2017, a dilute 2018 and a hail-hit 2019. Production across the appellation rose too, from 4.9 million to 5.1 million bottles, as more growers came online.
Critic scores and ratings
- 96 POINTS – Jeb Dunnuck – jebdunnuck.com, May 2025
When to drink it
Jeb Dunnuck gives this a wide window for enjoyment over the next 20 years, so it's good to at least 2045. That's the sort of wine you buy a case of and open one bottle a year to watch it evolve.
Technical details
| Producer: |
Produttori del Barbaresco |
| Wine: |
Barbaresco Riserva 'Pajé' |
| Vintage: |
2020 |
| Variety: |
100% Nebbiolo |
| Region: |
Barbaresco (Pajé cru), Piedmont |
| Country: |
Italy |
| Alcohol: |
14% |
| Oak: |
Large oak casks (botti), minimum 30 months |
| Fermentation: |
Stainless steel, 28 days on skins |
| Cellaring: |
To 2045 |
Where to buy
The Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Pajé' 2020 is available online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. Online and in both stores you can select a mixed case from a large range of wines. Just 13,000 bottles are made each vintage, so it doesn't stick around for long.
Questions we are often asked
What grape is Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Pajé' 2020 made from?
It's 100% Nebbiolo, grown in the Pajé cru within the Barbaresco DOCG in Piedmont, Italy.
What food pairs well with this wine?
It suits mushroom or truffle risotto, roast white meat and venison, as well as classic Piedmont dishes like fresh egg pasta.
How long will the Pajé Riserva 2020 keep?
Critic Jeb Dunnuck gives it a wide window for enjoyment over the next 20 years, so it's good to at least 2045.
Why is Pajé known for its floral character?
Its small, cool, high-calcium vineyard near the Tanaro River gives the wine unusual perfume and freshness compared with some of Produttori del Barbaresco's other crus.
Who makes Produttori del Barbaresco wines?
Produttori del Barbaresco is a growers' cooperative in the village of Barbaresco, founded in 1958 and now made up of around 60 member growers.
Where can I buy Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Pajé' 2020?
The Winery sells Produttori del Barbaresco Riserva 'Pajé' 2020 online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
