BARBARESCO
2016 Pajoré Sottimano
Floral, roses and earth, tar, red cherry and mountain strawberry. Refined and pure on the palate with layered rich tannins, good mineral drive, sleek fruit delivery, aromatic and long.L&S (Jan 2019)
In Bond
75cl bottles (case of 6)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2016 Barbaresco Pajorè is powerful, dense and explosive, as the best wines from this site tend to be. Deeply balsamic, with tremendous depth, the 2016 opens up effortlessly on the palate. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2016 needs quite a bit of time to be at its best, despite its considerable appeal today. Menthol, spice, leather and licorice infuse a core of dark fruit with striking layers of nuance. Drinking range: 2024 - 2041 Rating: 95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Nov 2019)
Dark ruby. Subdued and closed on the nose. Sweet fruit that is still very reluctant to come out on the palate and bags of coating tannins. Built like a stone house and monolithic for the moment. Drinking range: 2024 - 2034 Rating: 17.5+ Walter Speller, www.jancisrobinson.com (May 2019)
The 2016 Barbaresco Pajorè is a super-classic, explosive wine endowed with tremendous depth and character. Hauntingly beautiful aromatics laced with spice, menthol and blood orange make a strong opening statement. The Pajorè has traditionally been a big wine here. Although there is plenty of breadth and texture, the 2016 remains light on its feet. Lavender, mint, licorice and blue/purplish berry fruit are wonderfully alive in the glass. The 2016 is very young and yet also so easy to appreciate in the early going. That is often a sign of a truly great wine. Don't miss it. Drinking range: 2022 - 2036 Rating: 95+ Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Oct 2018)
Sottimano
The next generation of Andrea, Elena and Claudia Sottimano are now at the helm here and this exquisite estate continues to make better and better wines - some of the finest in Barbaresco. This sixteen hectare estate is based in the Cotta' region of Barbaresco, and the Sottimano family have over the years bought outstanding vineyards in the 'crus' of Currà, Cottà, Fausoni, Pajore and Basarin. In the vineyard they work organically and aim to limit yields. The winemaking is as low-intervention as possible, using only natural yeasts and then bottling without filtering or fining. All of these 'crus' are given exactly the same élevage, so as to allow the individual 'terroirs' to express their character. Terroir expression is the target here - and these amazing wines are as much an education as a joy to drink.
There are five different crus - each with very specific attributes where they produce their distinctly different Barbarescos. The latest edition is Basarin, with a mixture of clay, limestone and sand, is at about four hundred metres above sea level. This produces the estate's Langhe Nebbiolo, which is basically 'village Barbaresco', as the vines are very young (10-15 years old). It makes for wines that are always very elegant, refined, tannins are silky and softer, nuanced of spices and herbs (eucalyptus).
Fausoni, on sand and clay, makes wines that are always very elegant - mint, liquorice and little red fruits. This is in the historical part of Neive.
Currà, on clay and limestone, is one of the smallest cru of the whole appellation, wines are always very intense and powerful, hard-bodied and with good tannins. Hints of spices and smoke are characteristics of this area.
Cottà, on limestone with clay is one of the oldest cru in Barbaresco, vines are always very old here (fifty years and older) and the colours are just a little bit lighter than other vineyards (because of the clay), but they have a very distinctive nose of dark fruits and mint, a great elegance and mineral tannins.
Pajore is almost entirely on limestone with just a little clay. This is the highest vineyard of all, at 420 metres above sea level. The vines are very old, and it is always the most mineral and elegant of the four Barbarescos. Limestone brings into the wine a great purity of fruit, a distinctive aroma of spices and tobacco (cigar box) and a very unusual quality of tannins, firm but very mineral.
OFFER: All wines are offered subject to availability and final confirmation. The offer is for complete cases only.
PRICING: These pre-shipment offer prices are valid only for the offer period (and while stocks last), after which time prices will revert to normal for any remaining stock. Pricing is all 'in bond' (exclusive of VAT and duty) by the case size stated. If you would like to take wines duty paid them please indicate on your wishlist order form.
TO ORDER: Please order online, email our Private Client team, or call your usual shop or L&S contact.
DELIVERY: The wines are not yet physically available, but will be shipped over the course of the winter (2019). In most cases the wines will be delivered as they arrive with us, so if any are required by a certain date please advise us at the time of ordering. Duty paid delivery is subject to our usual terms and delivery schedule.
IN BOND DELIVERIES: If you are ordering In Bond, please specify your account details on your wishlist order form. Transfers to third party bonds for orders under £1,000 will be subject to a £16.50 + VAT documentation and delivery charge. In bond transfer to an Elephant Storage account is free of charge.