The Rizzi 2020 Barbaresco Pajorè shows lots of varietal character within the context of a vintage that was definitely on the warm and sunny side of the weather spectrum. The fruit is a little plumper and softer as a result, yet you still get that thin and elegant framing that is typical of Nebbiolo. The wine's flavor profile offers redcurrant, violet and licorice root. Pajorè in Treiso also has a pronounced mineral element. Winemaking is the same across most of these wines, with fermentation in stainless steel and 12 months of aging in Slavonian oak casks, followed by eight months in cement and another 10 months in bottle.

The 2019 Barbaresco Pajoré has a hint of spice that comes across and freshly milled white pepper or dried ginger. Those more-lifted aromas cede to dried rose, violet, earth and blackcurrant. It feels especially silky and smooth on the long finish. This vintage offers special elegance.

Another limited release of 2,400 bottles, the 2018 Barbaresco Pajorè is similar to the other expressions in this group of samples from Rizzi in that it, too, includes a note of ripeness that I just can't square with this vintage. I suppose the heat before the harvest caused some accelerated ripening. There is candied cherry and dried raspberry, dried mint and rosemary. This is a simple Barbaresco in the end, with moderate depth and intensity. With a 15% alcohol content, you may want to sample this red with some kind of Mediterranean sausage and rosemary roasted potatoes.

With a release of 3,800 bottles, the Rizzi 2017 Barbaresco Pajorè sees fruit from Treiso, one of the main appellation subzones. The Pajorè vineyard site offers distinctive aromas of red fruit, cassis and wild rose with delicate touches of tar, licorice and dark spice. The wine spreads far and wide over the palate, offering pretty intensity along the way. That characteristic Nebbiolo elegance is well articulated and framed by youthful tannins and bright acidity. I'd wait another two or three years before opening this bottle, but otherwise this is a solid medium-term Barbaresco.

The 2016 Barbaresco Pajorè is a dense and thickly structured wine that opens to dried cherries and blackberries, followed by spice, leather and tar. This wine shows volume and fullness in the mouth, with a soft and generous approach. Following its time in oak, the wine sits in concrete tanks for eight months before going into the bottle.