Roagna is one of the defining estates of traditional Piedmontese winemaking, operating from Castiglione Falletto across holdings in both Barolo and Barbaresco with a philosophy that has remained fundamentally unchanged across four generations of the family. Luca Roagna, who today runs the domaine, is among the most rigorous and uncompromising practitioners of the traditional Nebbiolo school: extended maceration periods of up to 60 days on the skins, ageing in large Slavonian oak casks for several years without recourse to barriques, and release schedules that prioritise full physiological maturity over commercial expediency. The result is wines of extraordinary depth, structure and longevity that challenge and reward collectors equally.

Montefico is one of the most prized and distinctive crus in the Barbaresco appellation, situated in the commune of Neive on soils of Helvetian Tortonian clay and calcareous marl that produce Nebbiolo of formidable structure and aromatic complexity. Roagna’s Montefico Vecchie Viti designation identifies the estate’s oldest vine parcels within this cru, whose deep root systems and naturally very low yields produce a Barbaresco of greater concentration, mineral depth and palate complexity than even the standard Montefico bottling, itself one of the finest wines in the appellation. The estate typically releases its Barbarescos five to six years after harvest, meaning the 2018 is arriving on the market in the mid-2020s having already spent years in cask and bottle before release.

Wine Spectator awarded the 2018 Roagna Barbaresco Montefico Vecchie Viti 97 points, a score that places it among the finest Barbarescos reviewed by that publication in recent memory and confirms the exceptional quality of the 2018 vintage in Piedmont. The vintage is widely considered one of the finest of the decade, combining the structural concentration required for long-term ageing with a freshness and aromatic precision that the best traditional Nebbiolo wines demand. For collectors who take Barbaresco seriously, this is among the most important wines from the 2018 vintage to have come to market.

Garnet with an amber rim from extended cask ageing and a complex, layered nose of dried rose petal, tar, dark cherry, iron, dried herbs, forest floor and the distinctive tertiary complexity of traditionally-vinified old-vine Nebbiolo. Full-bodied on the palate with very fine, powdery tannins, great natural acidity and an extraordinarily long, mineral, iron-tinged finish. Best from 2028 through 2055.

A classically structured Barbaresco from this single old-vine parcel, showing the deep mineral and fruit complexity that Roagna’s extended traditional winemaking reliably draws from the Montefico cru. Requires significant patience but is built for the very long term. — Wine Spectator