Roagna Langhe Bianco Solea, Piedmont, Italy 2022

Roagna is one of Piedmont’s most revered traditional wineries, a fifth-generation family estate rooted in the hills of Barbaresco and Barolo. Led today by Luca Roagna, the domaine is known for its uncompromising commitment to purity, biodiversity, and old-vine Nebbiolo. The vineyards—most famously Pajè, Asili, Montefico, and the Barolo monopole Pira—are farmed with minimal intervention to preserve the natural balance of each site. In the cellar, Roagna follows a slow, classical approach: indigenous yeasts, long submerged-cap fermentations, and extended aging in large neutral oak casks. The result is a collection of wines that are deeply expressive, structured, and profoundly tied to their terroir, offering some of the most soulful and age-worthy expressions of Barbaresco and Barolo produced today.

"This is a curious blend of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Nebbiolo (vinified as a white wine). The 2022 Langhe Solea was imagined by Luca Roagna's father in the 1970s. The family wanted to introduce a white wine and in fact experimented with sparkling Nebbiolo before ultimately settling on this combination of grapes. Nebbiolo adds the acidity and some of the crunch, whereas the Chardonnay adds the texture. The must is oxidized, almost brown, and requires one night to settle. The wine ferments naturally and spends two years in one oak cask on the lees with no movement. The idea is to create a reductive environment. It shows generous orchard fruit, peach and a sweet almond flavor." Wine Advocate 93