Size:1.5 l Type:Red Country:Italy Region:Piemonte Denomination:Barolo DOCG Grapes:Nebbiolo 100% Aging:5 years between unroasted barrel and bottle Alcohol content:14% Service temperature:16/18°C Vintage:2016 Barolo Pira is the, the result of a wish granted by the Roagna family in 1989, namely to own, for winemaking purposes, land falling within the Barolo appellation. Positioned just a stone’s throw from the castle of Castiglione Falletto, to which in past centuries it was connected by a private road, the Pira vineyard has a southwest exposure and lies on land that is now the result of the disintegration of the Rocche di Castiglione and where marine sedimentary elements traceable to the Helvetian and Tortonian periods alternate today, represented by a stratification of blue and gray marls, white limestones and iron sands. Undoubtedly an exceptional terroir that is also well enhanced by Roagna thanks to a benevolent microclimate that is the result of the protection provided by the overlooking fortress of Castiglione Falletto and the wooded area that covers no less than 6 of the 11 hectares owned by Roagna. Cultivated mainly with Nebbiolo and only partly with Chardonnay and Barbera, in the best Roagna style the vines are all of mass origin thanks to plantings from the pruning of old vines, ranging in age from 25 to 50 years. Harvested in mid-October when perfectly ripe, after careful selection the Barolo Pira grapes are pressed and placed in oak vats where they begin alcoholic fermentation by means of indigenous yeasts in contact with the skins, a long submerged cap maceration that lasts up to two and a half months before racking into unroasted oak barrels. On tasting, Barolo Pira shows a pale ruby color with definite garnet hues, introducing itself to the nose with a splendid bouquet that hints at plum, cherry and red currant, followed by notes of dried violet, mineral notes of crumbled stone and slight iron, then a soft balsamic closure. In the mouth, the attack is energetic but elegant, certainly of excellent workmanship and that with time will only get better as it goes to smooth out some of the roughness related to the tannins, which in any case are well integrated into a fresh and amply persistent sip. The son of a splendid vintage that delivered true oenological masterpieces, Barolo Pira, in the rarest Magnum format (just 360 units produced), fits well into the Olympus of Langa oenology thanks to the always precise, elegant and strongly crafted hand typical of the Roagna family.