Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Barbera d'Alba sees fruit sourced exclusively from the Pira vineyard. Part of the vineyard was planted in faraway 1937, and another part in 1990, so the wine’s complexity and finesse is due to many factors, including the mixed ages of the vines. Roagna holds the wine back for five years before its commercial release. It is partially aged in oak (for two and a half years) and cement before the final wine is assembled and put back into cement for a final stage of integration and rest. This vintage was bottled in August 2018. The intent with this wine is to maintain the freshness of the vintage and to avoid big alcohol. As a result, you get fine and delicate blackberry aromas followed by medium structure, soft tannins and crisp berry intensity, and all these elements are beautifully played off one another.
Friendly and approachable, Barbera produces wines in a wide range of styles, from youthful, fresh and fruity to serious, structured and age-worthy. Piedmont is the most famous source of Barbera; those from Asti and Alba garner the most praise. Barbera actually can adapt to many climates and enjoys success in some New World regions. Somm Secret—In the past it wasn’t common or even accepted to age Barbera in oak but today both styles—oaked and unoaked—abound and in fact most Piedmontese producers today produce both styles.
An historic village situated right in between the famous regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, Alba is also the name for the larger wine region surrounding the village.
In a sense, “Alba” is a catch-all phrase, and includes the declassified Nebbiolo wines made in Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as the Nebbiolo grown just outside of these regions’ borders. In fact, Nebbiolo d’Alba is a softer, less tannic and more fruit-forward wine ready to drink within just a couple years of bottling. It is a great place to start if you want to begin to understand the grape. Likewise, the even broader category of Langhe Nebbiolo offers approachable and value-driven options as well.
Barbera, planted alongside Nebbiolo in the surrounding hills, and referred to as Barbera d’Alba, takes on a more powerful and concentrated personality compared to its counterparts in Asti.
Dolcetto is ubiquitous here and, known as Dolcetto d'Alba, can be found casually served alongside antipasti on the tables of Alba’s cafes and wine bars.
Not surprisingly, given its location, Alba is recognized as one of Italy’s premiere culinary destinations and is the home of the fall truffle fair, which attracts visitors from worldwide every year.