Last fall I visited Roagna and was blown away. The 2014 Barolos were excellent, but the Barbarescos were incredible.
Sadly, vintages for Barbaresco often get lumped together with Barolo. To do so in 2014 would be to miss out in a big way. Barbaresco turned out gorgeous wines in 2014. The vintage comes close to delivering everything that we want - verve, clarity, and clear terroir imprints.
Antonio Galloni’s summary captures the vintage nicely: “Vibrant, perfumed and beautifully delineated, the 2014s capture the essence of what makes Nebbiolo so compelling.”
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Of Roagna’s incredible 2014 collection, along with their flagship Pajè, the Albesani was easily the standout. It is the inaugural vintage for the wine and it’s an obvious star of Roagna’s strong lineup. The Albesani cru is the source of Giacosa’s famed Santo Stefano. The parcel that Roagna rents is near Giacosa’s, and it is situated in the sweet spot of the cru.
Albesani has a high limestone content and it makes itself felt in a wine of incredible breeding, precision, and beautiful aromatics. It’s finessed, energetic, and possesses a tensile mineral core. This amount of purity and sheer elegance are rarely encountered.
Roagna is a longstanding Piedmont traditionalist, but the estate is now one of Piedmont’s greats. No one is making Barbaresco at the same level. Along with Conterno, Mascarello, and Rinaldi, Roagna is part of Piedmont's elite.The Albesani represents some of their finest work to date.
The Albesani has haunted me since I first tasted it last year. It is among the most refined and gorgeous young Piedmont wines that I’ve ever tasted. Its incredible harmony and depth promise that it will age beautifully for a couple of decades. The Albesani’s extraordinary success demanded to be selected as my wine of the year.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare
Crush Wine & Spirits
Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media:
"The 2014 Barbaresco Albesani is frankly on another level relative to the other Barbarescos Luca Roagna has recently added to his range. Explosive in its aromatic intensity and ample on the palate, the Albesani will leave readers who enjoy classically built wines weak at the knees. Everything that makes Nebbiolo so alluring comes through in this stunning Barbaresco. Freshly cut flowers, mint, chalk and sweet red cherries all race through this delicious and very promising Barbaresco. This is just a great expression of Nebbiolo."
