Roagna

History of Roagna

The Roagna estate traces its roots to the commune of Barbaresco, where it was founded at the very beginning of the twentieth century by Vincenzo Roagna. The torch then passed to his son Giovanni, and then to Alfredo, who forged the reputation of the house and notably created the Opera Prima cuvée. Today, it is Luca Roagna, the fifth generation, born in 1980, who runs the estate, having taken charge of winemaking upon graduating with his oenology degree in 2001.

A major turning point came in 1989, when the family realised its dream of acquiring great Barolo crus by purchasing the historic parcel of La Rocca e La Pira in Castiglione Falletto, near the fortress. The name Pira gradually became established to designate this magnificent terroir. From 2004 onwards, the estate began vinifying each of its crus separately — Asili, Montefico, Pajè and Pira — before adding in 2014 the Albesani cru in Neive. The deeply classical style of the wines has been faithfully passed down through five generations.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Roagna

The heart of the estate rests on approximately six and a half hectares of vines in the commune of Barbaresco, principally in the Pajè cru, complemented by the crus of Asili, Montefico, Albesani and Gallina. In Castiglione Falletto, the Pira monopole, sheltered upstream by the Rocche di Castiglione and downstream by a small wood, offers an ideal terroir for viticulture that respects the life of the soils.

The soils, rich in active limestone, impart great structure and an extraordinary ageing potential to the nebbiolo. The estate is distinguished by the venerable age of its vines, some of which exceed eighty years, by a very high planting density and by a near-organic approach, without chemical products, with natural ground cover. Alongside the nebbiolo, the estate also cultivates barbera, dolcetto, a little chardonnay planted in the 1980s and, further afield, the timorasso from the Colli Tortonesi.

Winemaking at Roagna

Winemaking at Roagna remains absolutely faithful to tradition. Fermentations take place exclusively in wooden vats, started with a pied de cuve of indigenous yeasts, over approximately ten days. This is followed by the traditional submerged cap maceration technique, lasting from sixty to ninety days, for a very gentle extraction.

The wines are then aged for a very long period in neutral oak casks and concrete vats, for a minimum of four to five years, and up to a decade for the rarest cuvées such as the Crichët Pajè or the Pira Riserva. This patience bestows upon the wines a remarkable finesse, complexity and delicacy, while preserving the original aroma of the nebbiolo. The result is a collection of profound and structured wines, built to endure for decades.

The cuvées of Roagna

Barbaresco Pajè: a cuvée sourced from the historic Pajè cru, from vines between twenty-five and fifty years old, produced at fewer than ten thousand bottles per year. Structured and thoroughbred, it is the estate's reference expression of Barbaresco.

Barbaresco Pajè Vecchie Viti: a selection of old vines over fifty years of age, with an imposing tannic structure and rich texture, limited to a few thousand bottles.

Barbaresco Crichët Pajè: the absolute icon of the estate, sourced from the ridge of the Pajè cru and from vines over sixty years old. Production rarely exceeds two thousand bottles, with an ageing of approximately a decade before release.

Barbaresco Asili Vecchie Viti: sourced from a small parcel of sandy soils planted with old nebbiolo vines, aged four to six years in French and Slovenian casks, combining structure, character and aromatic delicacy.

Barbaresco Montefico Vecchie Viti: an extremely rare cuvée, barely one thousand bottles per year, with a particularly aromatic profile and great finesse.

Barbaresco Albesani: sourced from the commune of Neive, a historic village designation worked by the family since 2014, elegant and profound.

Barbaresco Gallina: another cru from Neive, which completes the estate's Barbaresco palette with its own aromatic personality.

Barolo Pira: a Barolo from the monopole of Castiglione Falletto, sourced from vines over twenty-five years old, of great purity and long ageing potential.

Barolo Pira Vecchie Viti: a selection of old vines from La Pira, produced at a maximum of three thousand bottles per year, more concentrated and profound.

Barolo La Pira Riserva: sourced from the historic vineyard of Castiglione Falletto, this Barolo undergoes a particularly long ageing of approximately a decade before release — a fully realised expression of the terroir.

Barolo Rocche di Castiglione: a cuvée sourced from the celebrated Rocche di Castiglione Falletto cru, which brings finesse and minerality to the estate's range of Barolos.

Opera Prima: a legendary cuvée created by Alfredo Roagna, a blend of nebbiolo from several vintages according to a solera principle, with no vintage indication, of great complexity and singular uniqueness.

Langhe Nebbiolo: produced from the young vines of the Pira and Pajè crus, this more accessible nebbiolo offers a superb introduction to the estate's style — aromatic and complex.

Barbera d'Alba: an expressive and flavoursome wine, with vibrant fruit and lively acidity, faithful to the estate's traditional style.

Solea: the estate's white wine, a blend dominated by chardonnay planted in the 1980s, complemented by nebbiolo, fresh and original.

Derthona Montemarzino: a white wine made from the timorasso grape variety grown in the Colli Tortonesi, which broadens the range with a great mineral white built for ageing.

Barolo Chinato: a Piedmontese speciality based on Barolo aromatised with barks and spices, perfect as a digestif, extending the estate's historic expertise.