Wines made from the Nebbiolo grape are some of my favorites. Barbaresco and Barolo rank among the most structured, elegant, and haunting wines one can drink. They combine gorgeous aromatics with high levels of tannin and acid. Great Nebbiolo-based wines generate a fascinating tension: they are age-worthy due to their firm, “grippy” structures; yet, at the same time remain agile and lithe.
Most of us are not lucky enough to be able to drink Barolo and Barbaresco as “everyday wines.” They often demand a good amount of cellar age and command a price point worthy of their pedigree, making opening a bottle on an average night often not so practical.
The Langhe is a larger region in Piedmont that contains within it the wine producing areas of Barolo and Barbaresco (among others). Wines made from Nebbiolo sourced from the Langhe can be bottled as Langhe Rosso. These wines can vary widely in quality, but the best are excellent examples of what Nebbiolo from Piedmont tastes like.
Most of us are not lucky enough to be able to drink Barolo and Barbaresco as “everyday wines.” They often demand a good amount of cellar age and command a price point worthy of their pedigree, making opening a bottle on an average night often not so practical.
The Langhe is a larger region in Piedmont that contains within it the wine producing areas of Barolo and Barbaresco (among others). Wines made from Nebbiolo sourced from the Langhe can be bottled as Langhe Rosso. These wines can vary widely in quality, but the best are excellent examples of what Nebbiolo from Piedmont tastes like.
Enter Roagna’s Langhe Rosso.
Roagna is one of my favorite producers of Barolo and Barbaresco. It is a winery that describes itself as making wine in the “traditional style” (meaning longer maceration and fermentation times and aging in older wood casks). Their Langhe Rosso, made from 100% Nebbiolo, is not to be trifled with. It is not an after-thought wine simply made from declassified fruit from the winery’s holdings. Rather, Roagna’s Langhe Rosso is treated very similarly to the winery’s Barolo and Barbaresco. This makes perfect sense, since the fruit for the wine is sourced from Roagna’s vineyard holdings in Barolo (Cascina Pira) and Barbaresco (Pajé). The difference in the fruit that goes into the Langhe Rosso (as opposed to the Barolo or Barbaresco) is that the vines are younger. That being said, despite the fruit from younger vines, the wine sees a good amount of barrel and bottle aging.
Roagna’s Langhe Rosso is a beautiful expression of Nebbiolo. It shows elegant notes of black cherry, rose petal, violets, truffle, tar, and earth, all wrapped up in gorgeous acid and firm tannins. The 2006 vintage is drinking amazingly well, and definitely has a drinking window of a few years. I can’t think of a better wine to have with a truffle pizza, stewed meats, or cheese. Plus, at under $30, it represents one of the best values in Nebbiolo!
Roagna is one of my favorite producers of Barolo and Barbaresco. It is a winery that describes itself as making wine in the “traditional style” (meaning longer maceration and fermentation times and aging in older wood casks). Their Langhe Rosso, made from 100% Nebbiolo, is not to be trifled with. It is not an after-thought wine simply made from declassified fruit from the winery’s holdings. Rather, Roagna’s Langhe Rosso is treated very similarly to the winery’s Barolo and Barbaresco. This makes perfect sense, since the fruit for the wine is sourced from Roagna’s vineyard holdings in Barolo (Cascina Pira) and Barbaresco (Pajé). The difference in the fruit that goes into the Langhe Rosso (as opposed to the Barolo or Barbaresco) is that the vines are younger. That being said, despite the fruit from younger vines, the wine sees a good amount of barrel and bottle aging.
Roagna’s Langhe Rosso is a beautiful expression of Nebbiolo. It shows elegant notes of black cherry, rose petal, violets, truffle, tar, and earth, all wrapped up in gorgeous acid and firm tannins. The 2006 vintage is drinking amazingly well, and definitely has a drinking window of a few years. I can’t think of a better wine to have with a truffle pizza, stewed meats, or cheese. Plus, at under $30, it represents one of the best values in Nebbiolo!