Date of visit: June 8, 2022
About The Producer
The history of this legendary producer begins in the Barbaresco growing zone, with Vincenzo and Rosa Roagna, who bottled their first Barbaresco in 1890. This year marked not only Roagna’s first ever official Barbaresco vintage, it also marked the first ever official Barbaresco vintage in history. Evidence suggests, that it was in this year that Domizio Cavazza officially “invented” the Barbaresco wine that we know and love today. As one could imagine, during this time, there were only a handful of producers making Barbaresco wine, and Roagna was one of them. As incredible as this is, Roagna’s grape growing and winemaking history dates back even further than this, essentially pre-dating Barbaresco wine itself, making their longstanding history in the region all the more astonishing.
In the early to mid 1900s Roagna began purchasing top vineyards in prime sites throughout the Barbaresco denomination, purchasing a plot in the Montefico MGA in 1929, and in the Pajè MGA in 1953. 1953 is the same year that fourth generation winemaker, Alfredo Roagna was born. In 1958, Roagna produced their first ever vintage of their renowned Crichët Pajè Barbaresco, though it would not be labeled under this name until 1978. “Crichët”, in Piemontese dialect means, “top of the small hill”, a reference to the section of vines in the Pajè vineyard where the grapes for this wine are grown. This extraordinary Barbaresco is produced only in exceptional vintages, from vines that are at least 60 years old, can see maceration times of 80-90 days, is aged for approximately 10 years in large oak barrels, and is considered by Nebbiolo-lovers to be one of the greatest expressions of the Nebbiolo grape that there is.
Luca Roagna, who runs the estate today with his father Alfredo, was born in 1981, and is the fifth generation winemaker in his family. Up until this point, Roagna had only owned vineyards in the Barbaresco growing zone, but this soon changed when they purchased Cascina Pira in Castiglione Falletto in 1989. This purchase made the Roagna’s the sole owners of the incredible Pira MGA. Wines produced from this prime site were originally labeled “La Rocca e La Pira”, and over the years the name was changed to simply, “Pira”. In 2004 Roagna’s lineup of wines began to look more similar to how we know them to be today, when the family began vinifying each vineyard separately; Asili, Montefico, Pajè, and Pira. In 2007, they began bottling the old vines from each of these vineyards separately under the label “Vecchie Viti”, meaning, old vines. Although, old vines may be an understatement, the youngest plants used in Roagna’s Vecchie Viti wines were planted in 1937. In years deemed particularly exceptional, Roagna will also produce a “Riserva” of Pira and Pajè. Riserva’s are made from a selection of their incredibly old vines, and are aged in a combination of large oak barrels and cement for many years. These wines are generally released for sale 10-15 years after the vintage. The most recent vintage being 2006 Pira Riserva, which was released within the last year. We don’t know of another producer whose most recent vintage of any wine is 16 years old, truly astonishing. In 2013 Roagna expanded their production of Barbaresco by collaborating with the owner of the Faset vineyard, and in 2014 rented vineyards in Albesani and Gallina in Neive to produce Barbaresco from both vineyard sites.
Our Visit With Luca Roagna
Roagna was the fourth producer we visited during our trip to Piemonte in June. When we arrived, we were greeted by Luca Roagna, we shook hands, he looked at our shoes, paused, and said “ok, first we’ll go into the vineyards, if that’s ok with you?”. Of course, we enthusiastically agreed. We didn’t care whether or not our shoes got dirty, we were just happy to walk through the Pira vineyard, and who better to show us than Luca Roagna himself.
Ever since day one, the Roagna’s have taken a very hands-off approach to winemaking, allowing the grapes and the terroir to beautifully express themselves in all of their wines. In the vineyards, no herbicides or pesticides have ever been used, only copper and sulfur treatments, which are used extremely sparingly. Grass is left to grow between the rows, is never cut, and is only trampled by foot. This helps with biodiversity, protects against erosion, and serves as a natural fertilizer of sorts. As we followed Luca through the rows of vines, trampling down sections of nearly two foot tall grass, Luca paused, reached down with his hands, and dug out a section of soil to show us. Holding the soil in his hands, Luca pointed to fragments of dry grass mixed into the soil, which he believes is approximately three years old. Luca said if he were to dig down deeper there wouldn’t be any grass fragments visible, “after three years it becomes part of the soil, and there are layers and layers of this” he explained. He asked us to place our hands palm side up in the small trench he’d dug. Despite being over 90 °F outside, the soil was cool to the touch, almost cold. Luca explained that the tall grass helps keep the soil cool. He believes that the aforementioned practices protects the biodiversity of the vineyards, increases competition amongst the plants and vines, and creates vines which are healthier, amongst numerous other benefits. Harvest at Roagna is completed 100% by hand, and grapes are carefully sorted by hand berry by berry.
After being in the vineyards for nearly two hours, it was clear that Roagna’s vineyards were like nothing we’d ever seen. Walking up and down the rows of vines, we saw beautiful wild flowers, peas, roughly a dozen different varieties of mint, and were surrounded by a sea of ladybugs, which Luca says is indicative of a healthy vineyard that uses little to no chemicals.
The Roagnas are firm believers in utilizing old vines to produce Barolo and Barbaresco of exceptional quality. As a result, all of their Barolo and Barbaresco come from plants that are at minimum 25 years old. Any Nebbiolo vines that are younger than this go into their Langhe Rosso, which is made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes from both their Pira and Pajè vineyards. While 25 years old, is far from a young plant, and 99% of winemakers would agree that these are certainly old enough to produce beautiful and complex Barolo and Barbaresco, these simply don’t make the cut when it comes to Barolo and Barbaresco at Roagna. As we walked through the rows of Nebbiolo vines, Luca showed us multiple vines which were planted in 1937, these are used in their Barolo Pira Vecchie Viti. Due to the sandy soils in the Pira vineyard, many of the vines here have managed to survive Phylloxera. In more recent years, Luca has successfully planted many of his newer vines ungrafted. We asked Luca if he has plans to stop grafting his Nebbiolo vines entirely. Luca explained that he propagates all vines ungrafted, then later grafts some of those onto American rootstock, and some he leaves ungrafted. At the moment, Luca doesn’t have plans to stop grafting entirely. Across from the rows of vines in the Pira vineyard Luca pointed to a dense forest which he owns and has no plans of planting vines in, “this is to preserve biodiversity in the vineyards” he explained. The Pira vineyard is 11 hectares, 7 of which are under vine.
We followed Luca toward the cantina, but before we went inside, Luca showed us the differences in slope, elevation, and soil from the neighboring Rocche di Castiglione vineyard. From where we were standing, we could easily see the soil bands in Pira and Rocche di Castiglione, and how greatly the two differ. Dividing the two vineyards was the cantina, and three large shallow ponds which sit directly across from it. Luca showed us a large tank which collects natural rainwater, which they use to fill the ponds with when needed. In addition to being visually beautiful, the ponds are functional, they help regulate humidity in the vineyards, and help with biodiversity. As we stood there, we saw exactly what Luca meant when we saw half a dozen frogs hop through them.
We followed Luca inside, he handed us each a large, beautiful, Zalto Burgundy glass and spittoon, and we began our journey into the cellar. The first room we entered, was home to many bottles which friends have brought him over the years, some of which they’ve drunk, and some of which are still full. This room is the oldest room in the cantina, everything was kept original, only lighting has been added.
We followed Luca down a short flight of steps, and he opened the door to their magnificent and enormous cellar. We paused and stood on this grand staircase which overlooked huge botti and massive concrete tanks. We asked about the concrete tanks, as the shape looked different from others we’d seen in the past. Luca explained that he helped custom build them, as other tanks on the market didn’t meet his specifications. He explained that the tanks are lined with an all natural proprietary substance which he makes, similar to a resin of sorts. The coating lasts three years, before they need to be recoated. Despite the room’s grand appearance, Luca explained that everything in the cellar is actually quite simple, it just has a lot of space, which is important for air exchange. As we continued the tour, Luca explained their winemaking practices, and we saw exactly what he meant. There was no modern technology of any kind in this room, winemaking is conducted using simple, traditional, artisanal methods. To further help with air exchange, the back wall of the room behind the large wooden botti was left unfinished and is exposed to soil, this also helps to regulate humidity. Luca showed us their GAI bottling machine, and in front of it, a massive wooden case filled with six different five liter bottles of their Barolo and Barbaresco from the 2016 vintage. This is one of thirty cases made, and is filled with Barolo Pira, Barbaresco Pajè, Barbaresco Montefico Vecchie Viti, Barbaresco Asili Vecchie Viti, Barolo Pira Vecchie Viti, and Barbaresco Pajè Vecchie Viti. Adjacent to this magnificent case were other very special large format bottles, such as five liter bottles of 2016 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione and 2016 Barbaresco Faset.
We left this part of the cellar and followed Luca through another set of doors, into a tunnel, where the walls, ceiling, and floor were all made of thick slabs of cement. This ominous tunnel was reminiscent of something that you’d see in “Breaking Bad” in one of Gustavo Fring’s labs. As we advanced through the tunnel, we could feel the temperature dropping. Luca opened two large doors, and we followed him inside. It was Barolo and Barbaresco heaven. On display there were 18 liter bottles of Crichët Pajè, amongst other treasures. This room housed their collection of bottles from past vintages. We walked a half loop around the room, the entire time in awe. Luca then reached for a small, old, wooden table that couldn’t have been an inch larger than two feet by two feet. He pulled the table toward the center of the room, and with his huge infectious smile declared “welcome to the tasting room”. We laughed, and carefully placed the beautiful Zalto glasses and spittoons that we’d been carrying on the table. It was time to taste, and we could tell we were in for a treat.
Our Tasting Notes
Roagna generally releases their Barolo two vintages later than most other producers, therefore, all the Barolo we tasted was from the 2016 vintage, except for Pira Riserva which was from 2006, and is the current release of that wine.
2016 Barolo Pira: Made from grapes exclusively sourced from Roagna’s Pira vineyard, which are between 25 and 50 years old. Beautiful rich aromas of leather rise from the glass, along with tart crushed cherries, wet forest floor, some truffle, and baking spices, all of which carry over to the palate. An extremely persistent finish. The tannins are still austere, but are perfectly integrated. This wine is incredibly well balanced, elegant, approachable, but also capable of extremely lengthy cellaring. Beautiful and extremely enjoyable now, but will for sure reward those who wait, as it begins to take on even more complexity. What an incredible way to start the tasting.
2016 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione:This is Roagna’s first vintage of this magnificent Barolo, which is made entirely from grapes sourced from their Rocche di Castiglione vineyard. Beautiful herbaceous aromas rise from the glass led by pine and tar, along with sage, rosemary, leather, and smoke. The palate is very structured, but still manages to be approachable. Flavors of crushed cherries, black pepper, roses, and baking spices, accompanied by a silky smooth mouthfeel. Elegant and impeccably balanced. Already drinking beautifully, but is capable of very lengthy cellaring.
2016 Barolo Pira Vecchie Viti: Like the 2016 Barolo Pira we first tasted, this Barolo is made exclusively from grapes sourced from Roagna’s Pira vineyard. However, the Vecchie Viti bottling is made exclusively from old vines, which are at minimum 70 years old. An absolutely gorgeous and complex nose which slowly unfolds in the glass, beginning with textbook Barolo aromas of tar, followed by truffle, roses, pine and leather, along with some rosemary and a hint of mint. Flavors of tart cherry juice, leather, and a hint of rosemary, with ultra fine, beautifully integrated tannins. Fresh acidity, juicy, and loaded with flavors of tart red fruit. Impeccable balance, depth, and complexity. Already drinking beautifully, this wine is almost shockingly approachable and enjoyable now. With that said, this Barolo is without a doubt is capable of very lengthy cellaring, and we can’t wait to see how it evolves over the next 10, 15, 20, years and beyond. A truly incredible wine.
2006 Barolo Pira Riserva: If you couldn’t tell by now, our visit to Roagna was filled with dozens of unexpected surprises, and the final Barolo of the tasting was no exception. Although mentioned earlier, it’s worth mentioning again, this 16-year-old Barolo is Roagna’s most recently released vintage of their Barolo Pira Riserva, having just been released to the market within the last year. This Barolo was aged for 5 years in large wooden casks, and then saw an additional 10 years in cement. The wine was racked twice before being bottled, and approximately 2,000 bottles were produced. We barely had to raise the glass to our nose before an array of beautiful aromas began to unfold; pine, leather, truffle, an abundance of tar, roses, and tobacco. The mouthfeel is silky smooth, and it’s almost weightless on the palate, filled with flavors of tart cherry juice and leather, which pleasantly linger on seemingly indefinitely. This is unlike any other Barolo or any other wine in general that we’ve ever tasted. Despite being 16 years old, this Barolo shockingly youthful, in the best way possible. “Aging in cement, is almost like cellaring a wine in a massive large format bottle”, explained Luca. After tasting this wine, it’s easy to see what he means. Despite being 16 years old, this wine has no oxidative notes whatsoever, and we don’t think we’ve ever tasted a wine 16 years old or even close to 16 years old that’s tasted this youthful. The fruit and acidity are just as vibrant as we would’ve imagined them to be 12 years ago, when 2006 Barolo was the current vintage most producers were releasing. However, with additional time, this wine has gained immense complexity, the tannins are a bit more tame, though there’s still some austerity, and the overall wine tastes unbelievably complete, and perfectly balanced. This is truly an extremely special wine, and for us, really tastes like the “perfect” textbook example of Barolo. Words don’t do this wine justice, you really need to taste it for yourself. A fascinating, and incredibly enjoyable wine.
2015 Derthona Montemarzino: Made from 100% Timorasso grapes. 2015 is the second vintage Roagna has produced this wine. The nose is floral, and filled with aromas of lychee, honeysuckle, peaches, mint, and a bit of green herbs. Unbelievably aromatic. The palate delivers flavors of honey, green herbs, and peppermint. While tasting this wine, there was another flavor that Sasha picked out that she couldn’t quite place her finger on. It was not a subtle flavor by any means, but it was a flavor that we’re not sure that we’ve ever encountered in a wine before. After we left Roagna, and we were in the car on our way to dinner, Sasha was able to finally place it, it was yuzu. Soaring acidity, but not harsh, this wine maintains a very silky mouthfeel. 2019 is the most recently released vintage of this wine, so the 2015 we tasted has already had the chance to spend a few extra years in bottle. Drinking incredible at the moment, but can also be cellared for additional time. Luca explained that Timorasso holds up well over time because it’s very resistant to oxidation. He stated that he really likes how the 2015 is showing today, and although we’ve never tasted this wine while it was younger, we agree. Luca told us that Timorasso is one of his favorite grape varieties, and although this was our first time ever trying the grape, for us, it was love at first sip. What an incredible grape, and wine. We will definitely seek out this wine, and other Timorasso wines in the future. Approximately 2000 bottles were produced.
2020 Derthona Montemarzino (from barrel): For our final stop during this already incredible visit, we traveled back into the cellar, which housed the large wooden casks and cement tanks. Luca walked over to one of the large wooden casks and filled our glasses with a barrel sample of their 2020 Derthona Montemarzino. The nose is beautiful, and incredibly aromatic, filled with aromas of peppermint, raisins and honeysuckle. The palate is filled with golden raisins, gardenia, and honeysuckle. Already showing beautifully, we can’t wait to try this wine once bottled.
Thank You
Thank you, Luca, for this incredible experience. The work that you’re doing is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, it’s truly amazing, and it shows in your wines. Every wine that we tasted with you was absolutely magnificent. This was a visit that we will never forget. Grazie mille!
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