Roagna - Barbaresco Albesani 2019

The fine estate of Roagna has long roots in the commune of Barbaresco, having been started very early in the twentieth century by Vincenzo Roagna. Vincenzo passed on the reigns to his son Giovanni Roagna, who in his turn saw his son Alfredo succeed him as the head of the estate. Today the property is run by Luca Roagna, the fifth generation of the family. Luca was born in 1980 and succeeded in winemaking for the property soon after he graduated from oenological school in 2001. The style of the estate’s wines has been carefully passed down through all five generations of the Roagna family, with the wines made in a very traditional and classic style. These are deep, complex, and structured wines that are built to age and handsomely reward cellaring.

The heart of the Roagna estate is its six and a half hectares of vineyards in the commune of Barbaresco, most of these lying in the cru of Pajè. From the Pajè vineyard, the Roagna family now makes three distinct cuvées, a Barbaresco “normale” labeled as Barbaresco “Pajè,” a Barbaresco Paje Vecchie Vite and “Crichët Pajè" - made from the crest of the Paje cru. In 1989 the family’s long-held aspirations of owning top-level crus in Barolo comparable to their Pajè holdings in Barbaresco came true when they purchased a parcel historically known as La Rocche e La Pira, in the fabled village of Castiglione Falletto.

Through the 2004 vintage, wines from Pira were labeled as either Barolo “La Rocca e La Pira” or Barolo Riserva “La Rocca e La Pira.” For the 2005, 2007, and 2008 vintages, wines from that vineyard were labeled as “La Pira” or “La Pira Vecchie Vite,” although the fruit has always been sourced from the same vineyard. The label changed again beginning with the release of the 2009 wines – they now have to be labeled with simply “Pira” which is the new official name of the vineyard according to the new disciplinary for the Barolo appellation. There will also sometimes be a Barolo Pira Vecchie Vite selection from the oldest vines in the cru. He will still occasionally release a Riserva selection: a barrel or barrels of the VV held back for additional time in the cellar. For the long-term aging of these special Riserva releases, Luca now ages them in specially made Clayver vessels made of ceramic which are more porous than concrete creating the approximate oxygenation of a barrel albeit in a more neutral vessel. All of Roagna’s cru wines are from vines aged 25-50 years, the VV wines are from vines older than 50 years of age.

The vinification techniques at Roagna are still traditional though Luca has made noteworthy improvements and changes to the process. The fermentations are in cask and the macerations have gone from around thirty days to, on average, 60-90 days. The aging regimen depends a bit on the cru and vintage but goes from 2-3 years to sometimes 8-10 and as much as 15-16 years for the Riserva. Luca has also switched all of their oak to the highest quality French oak 10cm thick – twice the thickness of a standard cask. These casks allow for a very slow micro-oxygenation which adds to the elegance of the finished wines.

Albesani is one of the top sites in Neive. The famed Santo Stefano sits in the center of the hillside. The mostly south-facing Santo Stefano yields powerful, structured Barbarescos none more majestic than Bruno Giacosa's Barbaresco Santo Stefano. With time, Santo Stefano Barbarecos develop notable sweetness, along with floral and spiced overtones. On its own, Santo Stefano is an Exceptional vineyard, while Albesani as a whole is more varied.

"There's fluidity and viscosity to the texture in this red, setting the stage for its macerated cherry, strawberry, rose hip, hay and eucalyptus flavors. This features an underlying mineral element too, which works in tandem with the vibrant acidity and firm, refined tannins. Long and complex. Best from 2028 through 2050. 352 cases made.” - 98 Points, Wine Spectator

"Underbrush, wild rose, leather, herb and balsamic notes of camphor are just some of the aromas you’ll find on the fantastic 2019 Roagna Albesani. On the structured palate, firm, fine-grained tannins accompany crunchy red cherry, pomegranate, star anise and Alpine herb. Vibrant acidity provides intensity and balance. While this is already tempting, the best is yet to come. Drink 2029–2039.” - 97 Points, Kerin O’Keefe

"The Albesani vineyard lies near Gallina and shares similar exposures and growing conditions. Albesani, however, is planted in part to very old vines, and there is more active limestone in the white soils and maybe a little less sand. The Roagna 2019 Barbaresco Albesani presents an impressive bouquet with a wide span of aromas that start off with blue flower and pressed rose and extend gently to iron ore and crushed stone. There is a ferrous quality as well. The wine is light and translucent in appearance, but don't underestimate the power it delivers to the palate. Albesani is especially marked in terms of its tannic structure.” - 95 Points, Wine Advocate

Producer: Roagna

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Varietal: Nebbiolo

Appellation: Barbaresco

Vintage: 2019

Size: 750ml