Roagna - Barolo Pira 2018 (750ml)
Wine Spectator: 97 Points
There's viscosity to this red despite its nimble profile along with detail harmony and length showing precise flavors of rose petal cherry currant licorice sandalwood and graphite focused by vivid acidity while refined tannins lurk underneath. Best from 2026 through 2047. 915 cases made.
Vinous: 94+ Points
The 2018 Barolo Pira is bright focused and linear. A bit light and nervy as wines are in this vintage but also expressive. Tobacco cedar mint dried flowers and chamomile all grace this taut nervy Barolo Pira. This is an especially ethereal Barolo. Very pretty and it has plenty of drive. - By Antonio Galloni on September 2023 This is a stellar set of wines from Luca Roagna. The 2018 Barbarescos and Barolos are especially fine. Roagna waited it out choosing to harvest as late as possible in order to ripen the tannins. As a result a number of the wines have distinctly exotic profiles. I tasted the entire range twice and found the wines consistently brilliant. These are wines that benefit considerably from cellaring something I have learned over the two decades-plus I have been buying and drinking them. As has been the case for some time Roagna has reduced the time in wood for the Barolos and Barbarescos preferring more neutral vessels for the final portion of aging. As always low-intervention viticulture and super-traditional methods with ambient fermentations and long time on the skins are cornerstones of the approach here.
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