Wine Advisor
Roagna, Barbaresco Montefico Vecchie Viti 2013
View analysis
Description
Roagna, Barbaresco, Montefico VV, Piedmont, Italy, Still, Red, 2010
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The tiny Montefico vineyard (measuring about a quarter of a hectare) was purchased in 1929, the year of Luca's grandmother was married. The property was a wedding gift to his grandmother from his great grandmother. The vines are 90 years old today and are located adjacent to vines farmed by Produttori del Barbaresco and the Giacosa family. The Montefico vineyard looks toward the town of Neive, showing more limestone in the soils compared to Asili or Pajè. As a result, the 2013 Barbaresco Montefico Vecchie Viti tends to offers more richness and structure compared to wines made from those neighboring sites, and the difference is quite striking. Perhaps the tannin is stronger in the Pajè, but this old-vine wine from Montefico (located within the township of Barbaresco) offers a more solid inner fiber with tightly integrated tannins that are less obvious, perhaps, but equally important to the power, volume and longevity of this wine.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2013 Barbaresco Montefico Vecchie Viti is incredibly precise and finely sketched. Barbarescos from Montefico often are aggressive when they are young. That is far from the case here, even if the 2013 is best cellared for at least a few years. Sage, mint, tobacco, chalk, smoke, and crushed flowers add beguiling aromatic top notes to power through in a mid-weight, searing Barbaresco endowed with tremendous character. What a wine!
About the Producer
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 to winemaking for the property soon after his graduation from oenological school in 2001. The style of the estate’s wines has been carefully passed down through all five generations of 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 fine 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. 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 go from 2-3 years to sometimes 8-10 and as much as 15-16 years for the Riserva, part of which is in cement. Luca has also switched all of their oak to the highest quality French oak that is 10cm thick – twice the thickness of a standard cask. These casks allow for a very slow and micro-oxygenation which adds to the elegance of the finished wines. In addition to their fine Barbaresco and Barolo bottlings, the property also makes a Langhe Rosso cuvée from “younger Nebbiolo vines” which in Luca’s case are under 25 years – hardly young by other producers’ standards. He also produces a chewy and intensely flavored Dolcetto, and a white wine that is a blend of 75-80% chardonnay and 20-25% Nebbiolo (vinified without the skins) which they label as Langhe Bianco Solea. The Langhe Bianco Solea is held for three years prior to release by the winery, and is a medium-full, fresh and pure white that typically offers up an aromatic blend of pear, flowers, a touch of honey and pastry cream. All of the estate’s wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.
