Winemaker Notes
Young vines, up to 20-25 years old, are used for this wine. The vines are exclusively of massal origin, with wood obtained during the pruning of the same vineyard.
Fermentation takes place exclusively in wooden vats using a pied de cuve made from indigenous yeasts. It lasts about ten days. The ancient, submerged cap maceration technique is then applied, lasting at least two months. The wine ages in a neutral oak barrel and concrete tanks for about five years.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Luca Roagna likes to joke that this is the worst wine he makes. "It is made with all the leftovers," he says. The 2019 Langhe Rosso sees Nebbiolo from Barolo and Barbaresco, pretty much in equal parts. There is some Pira and Pajè along with young vine fruit from other parcels, some of which suffered mudslide damage in the 1990s and required replanting. This wine was first produced in 2000. The labor required to make it is intense because Luca needs to scope out the young vines buried within a rich patrimony of old vines. "I am a squarehead," he says. This entry-level wine is a provocation. In fact, it could technically be classified as Barolo or Barbaresco if it were not a blend of the two appellations. It sees the same five-year winemaking and oak aging regime as those wines. The 2019 vintage shows good concentration, balanced acidity and a firm backbone. There's a lot of fresh fruit here with pressed flowers and roses.
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Vinous
The 2019 Langhe Rosso is fabulous. It captures all the pedigree of this great vintage but in a slightly more open style (especially in its aromatics) that renders it quite approachable. Crushed flowers, dried cherry, spice, mint and sweet pipe tobacco are all nicely lifted. Already quite approachable, the 2019 is ready to go. The 2019 is Pira's young vines Nebbiolo. About two-thirds of the fruit is from Pira; the rest is Albesani, Gallina and Paje. Aging is a bit more than two years in cask, a touch less than in the past.
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Wine Spectator
Aromas of eucalyptus, iron and underbrush are offset by flavors of cherry and plum in this mature Nebbiolo. There's a vestige of ripe fruit as this winds down on the finish, and overall, this is balanced and long. Drink now.
Attracting the most glory, prestige and fame to the Piedmont region, Nebbiolo in all of its expressions—Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Ghemme and Gattinara—creates a complex wine, truly unique for its delicate qualities combined with strength and a great potential to improve over time.
But Nebbiolo isn’t all there is to red wine from Piedmont! Barbera is the most planted variety and historically most popular as a dependable, food-friendly, everyday wine.
Beyond these two, a surprising number of red varieties call Piedmont their home. Worth a try include Dolcetto for its bold concentration and aromas of spice cake. Other grapes to investigate include Freisa, Croatina, Brachetto, Grignolino and Pelaverga.