Roagna
For lovers of traditionally made Nebbiolo, few names carry the reverence and mystique of Roagna. Deeply rooted in the hills of Barbaresco since the late nineteenth century, with documented bottlings dating back to 1890, the estate has become one of Piedmont’s most uncompromising and sought after producers, crafting wines of extraordinary finesse, detail and longevity from some of the Langhe’s greatest vineyard sites. Today led by Luca Roagna alongside his father Alfredo, the family remains fiercely committed to traditional winemaking, with organic farming, massal selection, wild yeast fermentation, submerged cap macerations that can extend for several weeks, and long ageing in large neutral oak botti all central to the estate philosophy. At the heart of the domaine lies Pajé, one of Barbaresco’s historic crus, alongside celebrated holdings in Albesani, Gallina, Montefico and Asili, while in Barolo the family’s revered Pira vineyard in Castiglione Falletto produces some of the estate’s most profound wines. Roagna’s combination of tiny production, long ageing regimes and uncompromising traditionalism has earned the wines cult status amongst collectors and sommeliers, often drawing comparisons with the great terroir driven domaines of Burgundy for their transparency, precision and extraordinary ageing potential.