2019 Roagna, Paje - Barbaresco - 1 Bottle (0.75L)

The Roagna are wine producers in the village of Barbaresco since the mid-1800s. Alfredo and Luca, father and son, are today in charge of the estate. In 1990 they were able to acquire two renowned vineyards in Castiglione Falletto in Barolo, Pira and Le Rocche, together with a 15th‑century farmhouse they renovated that has become Casa Roagna, a bed and breakfast overlooking the vines. Pira is Roagna’s largest plot, over 17 hectares; the remaining vineyards are located in Asili, Montefico and Pajé in Barbaresco, together with some white-grape vineyards in the Colli Tortonesi where Luca produces small quantities of Timorasso and Chardonnay. Although Pira is the estate’s largest vineyard, the Roagna name is synonymous with Pajé, its flagship in Barbaresco, where the oldest vines (at least 50 years old) on pure calcareous soils are bottled under the Crichet Pajé label. There is also a Pajé and Pajé Vecchie Viti bottling, based on vine age. All the crus have aged for about five years in wood, except Asili, which after about three years finishes its aging in cement, and Crichët Pajé, which sees eight years in wood because its calcareous origins require a longer aging before bottling. Luca uses a combination of wood and cement to achieve the right maturation. The Roagna family likes to describe their style as traditional and innovative. All Barbaresco and Barolo vines are farmed organically, with no herbicides; grass grows between the rows, and only copper and sulfur solutions are used for treatments. The availability of Roagna wines is extremely limited each year.

Antonio Galloni (Vinous): 96 points
Wine Spectator: 96 points