October 17, 2023 - Vinous Piedmont Icons Dinner @ Legacy Records (Legacy Records, NYC): The 2000 Crichet Paje showed very poorly when first poured, but improved with time in the glass as some of the more oxidative notes blew off. I bet that a full bottle, with more time to contemplate the wine and more air exposure, could have shown better.
On the nose, I initially found an oxidative, stewed black plum fruit expression, but this blew off with time in the glass, turning into more pure black fruit. With time in the glass, I found black plum fruit, balsamic, leather, roasted meats, and sweet spices. On the palate, the wine showed high acidity and was medium plus in body, with rustic black fruit, meat, and leather notes.
This wine was so dramatically different than the '04 Crichet Paje, but appealing in its own way.
June 7, 2018 - Roagna Exploration Tastings (Morrell Wine Bar & Cafe): Here I found a dark and rich display with a mix of black cherry, crushed stone minerality and hints of animal muskiness. On the palate, silky, soft textures gave way to mineral-infused black cherry with a balanced mix of zesty acids, youthful tannin and minerals. The finish was long, as its tannins began to settle in, firming up the experience and promising many years of development. Admittedly, I wanted more depth from the 2000 Crichet Paje, yet the wine delivered in spite of the vintage.
April 13, 2018 - Crichet Paje vertical with jokers, wine #1: Crichet (top of hill in local dialect) is the grand cru of Paje. Ecologic vineyard management and ultra classic cellar practices with 3 months meceration. Minuscule production of 1000-2000 bottles per year, released 10 years after harvest.
Mean barbwire tannins initially, softens significantly with air. Powerhouse with beautiful maturity notes. Raspberries, saddle leather, tobacco, orange zest, coffee, chocolate and roses. Early in drinking window. BV=0, WV=0
November 10, 2017 - Ha bisogno di aria per pulirsi e carburare.... veramente particolare il profilo che guadagna complessità e sfumature sempre nuove: dal catrame alle olive al frutto ricoperto di mineralità scura e polverosa, fino a una bellissima parte vegetale. Caldo, pieno, ma scorrevole e sferico. Grande bottiglia
August 28, 2017 - Gorgeous nose of rosepetals. On the palate, it is full and mineral, with a good lashing of tannin. Long life ahead. Along with a lot of sediment.
May 28, 2016 - Aged Nebbiolo Table at BerserkerFest (Peking Duck House, 53rd St, NYC): [Double decanted at 8:30am. Cork left out all day.] Smoky red fruit nose. Very sweet but also tannic and sour. Not sure if this will get better. 92?
June 12, 2014 - Serverades blint på min favoritvinbar!
Tråkigt nog korkskadat.
Har druckit det tidigare och det är helt fantastiskt bra.
June 12, 2014 - Corked!
Damn!
Same thing here, beneath the cork taint there were signs of a big wine!
I have had the pleasure to drink this wine before, and it was stunning then…
December 7, 2012 - Fantastic nose, Bordeaux style in my opinion. Not a typical Piedmont wine.
December 6, 2012 - Had this blind.
What a nose! tremendous, very mature, hay, licorice, stable, tobacco, leather it is all there.
Nice balance, long taste with a hint of stable, leather and hay. Fine tannins that build up the total whole impression to a magic finish.
This is a fantastic Barbaresco. 6 out of 7 thought is was a Bordeaux. Very interesting.