2013 Sottimano, Barbaresco, Pajoré (RT95+) As this wine passes its 12th birthday, the middle-aged Pajoré is hanging on to its youthful ruby hue. Notes of deeply ripe Morello cherry, spiced ripe plum, hints of cranberry and red currant reveal the wine’s freshness while early tertiary notes of menthol, brushy dried herbs, and mineral dust are beginning to emerge on the perimeter. The palate is gentle and caressing with supple fruit built on a stratum of perfect ripeness and reveals elegant, soft acidity which leads to awesomely ripe tannins. The finish is super-suave! Clearly coming from a benchmark, long aging vintage, the 2013 Sottimano Pajoré is a thing of propound beauty and will appeal to those who prefer more finesse and polish on their wines and less rusticity. Drink now-2043+ Tasted November 2025
The history of Sottimano dates to the end of the 1960s, when the father – Rino – had completed his oenology studies and commenced his wine journey. Passion, courage and luck led to the purchase of the farmhouse that is now home to the winery, along with vineyard lands in the Cottà Cru. Today Rino and his wife Anna are joined by their kids: Andrea, Elena and Claudia and team-up to work in all aspects of the family business. The family are rising stars in the Barbaresco region, embracing purity of fruit that sets a standard of excellence.
Sottimano currently produces wines from five different Cru vineyards: Basarin, Cottà, Pajoré, Fusone and Currà. Pajoré is located on the south-facing slope of ridge to the north of the well-known Rambone Cru in Treiso. This bottling contains 100% estate grown fruit nurtured in calcareous marl and clay soils. Once the grapes are harvested a meticulous selection of fruit is followed by a gentle press and spontaneous alcoholic fermentation (100% indigenous yeasts). It then goes through a long maceration lasting 40 days on skins with a submerged cap. The must is then racked into casks where malolactic fermentation is completed. All five of the Barbaresco’s are treated identically in order emphasize the difference in vineyard terroir and are aged for 20-22 months in a combination of various age casks. The wines are bottled with no fining or filtering and rest in the bottle for about one more year before being released into the market. Production of Pajoré is just over 400 cases.
