The 2000 Barbaresco Riserva Paje is positively explosive. Sweet mentholated, balsamic notes wrap around a muscular core of fruit as this massive, textured Barbaresco opens up in the glass. The Riserva is unbelievably youthful, yet it promises to drink beautifully after another few years in bottle. It is a stunner. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030. Roagna is among the last to issue their wines, so the bottles I tasted for this retrospective are pretty recent releases! Still, it was illuminating to revisit the wines within the context of the vintage.

The 1999 Barbaresco Riserva Paje is in some ways fresher than the 2000 Barbaresco Crichet Paje although it lacks that wine's sheer density. An exotic, compelling array of wild cherries, tobacco, sweet herbs and licorice all comes together in this sensual, well-articulated Barbaresco. The wine's balance and poise are remarkable. The 1999 Barbaresco Riserva Paje was made from vines that were more than 60 years old and spent five years in barrel. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2029. Roagna is one of the most fascinating properties in Piedmont. The family owns small, but choice, plots in some of the region's best vineyards. The estate makes a wide range of wines, but the Barbarescos and Barolos are the highlights. In top vintages there can be as many as three selections of Barbaresco (Barbaresco Paje, Barbaresco Riserva Paje and Barbaresco Crichet Paje) and two of Barolo (Barolo La Rocca e La Pira, Barolo Riserva La Rocca e La Pira). The wines are fermented in oak vats and remain on the skins until mid-December, after which they are aged in oak barrels for as many as a dozen years prior to being bottled. This year Roagna has three new wines; a Barbera made from vines in the La Rocca e La Pira vineyard in Castiglione Falletto, and small-production Barbarescos from the Asili and Montefico vineyards. Among the many highlights are the 2003 Barolo La Rocca e La Pira and Barbaresco Paje, which are both exceptional (there were no Riservas made that year), the 2004 Barbera d-Alba, the 2004 Barbaresco Asili, the 1995 Barolo Riserva La Rocca e La Pira and the 2000 Barbaresco Crichet Paje. As readers can deduce, the wines are usually released later than most and can be hard to find, but they are increasingly worth the effort. Quality has never been higher here, and as I have written before, Luca Roagna is one of Piedmont's most promising young producers. Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191

The 1998 Barbaresco Riserva Paje is a deep, penetrating effort, bursting with cherries galore along with notes of spices, licorice and menthol. Rich and full-bodied, yet supported by classic structure and big, imposing tannins, it is a vibrant, powerful Barbaresco that will require at least a few more years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025. Importer: Louis Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191.

A powerful effort, the 1997 Barbaresco Riserva Paje captures the essence of the vintage in its sweet ripe fruit and soft, open texture while still showing plenty of underlying structure to provide balance. A beautiful, engaging wine, it should also drink well relatively early for this estate. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2017. Importer: Louis Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191.