Enrico Serafino Pajena Barbera d'Alba 2020
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James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Deep ruby red with typical purple hues. A wide, vinous nose with notes of violet, cherry, currant, plum and spices. Amazingly fresh, velvety, medium to full body, with pleasant silky acidity softened by ageing in oak and fine texture.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
An inviting nose of crushed red cherries, sweet herbs and violets. Medium-bodied with gentle tannins. Juicy on the palate, with the red fruit turning blacker towards the finish.
Other Vintages
2018-
James
Suckling
Since 1878, Enrico Serafino has been a family winery crafting artisan wines that show their commitment from generation to generation. This careful dedication to quality comes from the vineyards spread throughout the UNESCO World Heritage site, in the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato in the Piedmont region. Their sustainable approach and meticulous execution allow them to craft a whole set of wines true to the terroir.
Located in Canale, the winery produces a wide array of traditional Piemontese wines, both from the area around the winery in Roero, and also from Barolo and Gavi. Less typically however, Serafino produces Metodo Classico (fermented in the bottle) sparkling wines, from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Serafino was on the forefront in the mid-1900s, of the development of what would eventually become the Alta Langa. Today the winery produces three Alta Langa DOCG wines, with their ZERO Alta Langa Metodo Classico being awarded the Best Italian Sparkling Wine of the Year by the prestigious Gambero Rosso Guide in 2014.
The winery also owns 25 acres of Barolo vineyards in the renowned areas of Serralunga, Monforte d'Alba, and Castiglione Falletto where they produce Barolo Monclivio, Barolo Seralunga, and a Nebbiolo Langhe from the “forgotten” Picotener grape.
Today, after more than 140 harvests, Enrico Serafino is still family-owned maintaining the original artisanal soul, respect for future generations and passion for details that have distinguished the winery since the beginning.
Friendly and approachable, Barbera produces wines in a wide range of styles, from youthful, fresh and fruity to serious, structured and age-worthy. Piedmont is the most famous source of Barbera; those from Asti and Alba garner the most praise. Barbera actually can adapt to many climates and enjoys success in some New World regions. Somm Secret—In the past it wasn’t common or even accepted to age Barbera in oak but today both styles—oaked and unoaked—abound and in fact most Piedmontese producers today produce both styles.
An historic village situated right in between the famous regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, Alba is also the name for the larger wine region surrounding the village.
In a sense, “Alba” is a catch-all phrase, and includes the declassified Nebbiolo wines made in Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as the Nebbiolo grown just outside of these regions’ borders. In fact, Nebbiolo d’Alba is a softer, less tannic and more fruit-forward wine ready to drink within just a couple years of bottling. It is a great place to start if you want to begin to understand the grape. Likewise, the even broader category of Langhe Nebbiolo offers approachable and value-driven options as well.
Barbera, planted alongside Nebbiolo in the surrounding hills, and referred to as Barbera d’Alba, takes on a more powerful and concentrated personality compared to its counterparts in Asti.
Dolcetto is ubiquitous here and, known as Dolcetto d'Alba, can be found casually served alongside antipasti on the tables of Alba’s cafes and wine bars.
Not surprisingly, given its location, Alba is recognized as one of Italy’s premiere culinary destinations and is the home of the fall truffle fair, which attracts visitors from worldwide every year.