Roagna – Master Winemakers of Barbaresco & Barolo
Who is Luca Roagna?
Luca Roagna was born in 1981 in Piedmont, Italy, into a family that has been farming vineyards and producing wine in Barbaresco since the late 19th century. Since joining the family winery in 2001, Luca has proven himself one of the most dynamic and forward-thinking wine producers of his generation, taking the quality and ROAGNA brand to unprecedented heights. In doing so, he has cultivated close friendships with some of the wine trade’s most notable vignerons. A man of personality, conviction and purpose, his wines rank amongst the very best in the world.
LUCA AT LARGE
Bumping along a deafening underground carriage in London – an unlikely refuge but better than torrential rain – he flits between Italian, English and French, his animated voice rising above the screeching sound of the Victoria Line and the clamour of commuters coming and going. Outside of Piedmont, he cites his love for Burgundy especially, and other great regions as an inspiration. “All help to crystalise what I am doing. Everywhere I go I take something away with me. I spent a week tasting Cabernets in California that have no crossover with Barbaresco, but I learned from amazing people.” Similarly, he cites Eben Sadie of South Africa as the (unusually small) inox vats, perfect for moving around delicate bunches of grapes without any spoilage: “they don’t exist in Italy – the valves weren’t right as we work to a different diameter.” The same day I learn that Luca is friends with the Keller family of Florsheim-Dalsheim, who I intend to see for dinner the following week – “an Asili VV should go down well then" he suggests. We discuss Chateau Lafleur’s withdrawal from the Pomerol AOC, “beautiful wine, who wouldn’t want to buy Lafleur?”, Soldera, “unbelievable quality”, and a litany of top Burgundy producers who visit Piedmont more than you might think.
"QUALITY VITICULTURE IS POOR AGRICULTURE"
Business trips around Europe, the US and Asia have all been carried out in high-octane fashion, drawing professionals and private collectors in droves. It helps that Luca has a gregarious, late-night nature. A sommelier in Mayfair presses him on a comment about clonal selections of Nebbiolo in old vines… a task he surmounts with ease. It serves as a good reminder that for all that loquacious Piemontese charm, he is a fastidious student of his subject. We all agree that the Roagna wines are exemplars for not-so-modern notions of sustainability, it turns out, and specifically, the nuanced, bright and incisive style of Barolo and Barbaresco that makes a bottle disappear before you realise. “Vanilla fantastica is for ice cream!”, he concludes, delivering this one-liner to a packed room with a broad laugh that elides a firm, serious set of principles that the family abides by at home.
LUCA AT HOME
Luca has worked for the Roagna winery since 2001, following formal studies in Oenology. He maintains, however, that his working knowledge derives for the most part from working side-by-side with his father Alfredo, prioritising instinct and experience over technical know-how. Today, the winery has only four employees, including Luca and Alfredo, who remains ever-present in the vineyards.
Of most significance is Luca’s approach to regenerative viticulture and his celebration of old vines, both of which mark him out against his peers in a region that stands accused of gradually becoming a monoculture.
He succinctly states that “quality viticulture is poor agriculture”. In essence, by treating the vineyards as self-sustaining habitats, with no tilling, mowing or impact on the soil, the goal is to trap carbon, moisture and life – while letting them grow in a way that you would not let your garden. In practical terms, this means allowing the vines to climb without hedging; planting grasses and flowers not only between rows of vines but even as competition between the trunks themselves; and replanting vines only via massale selections within that same site to continue the path of specific vine adaptation to its immediate conditions, all to protect the historic and unique character of each site for future generations.
"exotic perfume and sophisticated, mineral spine that defines the most distinguished Nebbiolo"
In a climate change context, a major benefit to the regenerative approach is that the temperature of the soil is moderated. The gradual mulching and decomposition of the grasses and flowers as the season progresses not only binds an array of elements in the soil but, practically, becomes a carpet that insulates and reduces evaporation of vital water reserves. Additionally, by not tilling the soil at all, the superficial root structures are not compromised or cut, and naturally develop to bury deep into the hillsides. Add this to vines that were planted as early as the 1930s and Roagna arrives with a naturally low yield per vine with moderate levels of sugar and high levels of nitrogen (the element responsible for growth, and an engine for spontaneous fermentation), nutrients, and natural acidities, permitting the longest hang time possible. By modern standards, Roagna is a late harvester, believing in the importance of the diurnal swing that arrives from late September. Where in most instances this could translate into higher alcohols and baked fruits, the regenerative, holistic approach he takes means that the grapes arrive in balance with the intoxicating mix of exotic perfume and sophisticated, mineral spine that defines the most distinguished Nebbiolo.
"the quiet power of the old vines"
Cellar work is intended to harness the quiet power of old vines. The Roagna wines see some of the longest maceration times, over 60-90 days, via the submerged cap method in large oak vats; in keeping with tradition. This requires skins and grapes to be in robust health. The ageing regime is also incredibly long – a full five years between harvest and bottling for wines from the humble Langhe Rosso (in reality, a declassified Pira and Paje blend) all the way up to the Viti Vecchie bottlings (VVs). The estate’s top wine Crichet Paje gets the white-glove service and is bottled only when ready. Believing in the tradition of long ageing, Luca has vastly improved the quality of barrels the family has access to and has mastered the interplay of oak and concrete as two naturally porous, neutral, but texturally enhancing vessels.
"A great winemaker on parade"
The fact that the Roagna wines consistently overdeliver in less lauded vintages (2011 and 2015 for example), he puts down to the work in the vineyards, though to watch Luca scamper around what must be the region’s most impressive Cantina in near-darkness, the sound of bottles clinking off the walls, and emerge with a smile and an unlabelled something, is to watch a great winemaker on parade. A Riserva programme that will celebrate the best wines over many decades – again, with bespoke designed concrete tanks and a nitrogen system to keep the wines in stasis, is further evidence of Luca’s long-range planning and commitment to quality. With a tiny team and two young children to look after, Alessandro (born 2020) and Chiara (2024), from the outside the Roagna project appears an impossible task. Having had the privilege of tasting the past ten releases in full, I’ve come to believe that Luca revels in challenging expectations.
Justerini & Brooks has the privilege of working with many of the world’s great winemakers. If there is a shortlist of qualities that they share, they would include a maniacal and uncompromising attention to detail and full commitment and belief in their terroir, resulting in wines of enormous depth and (an often neglected) sense of genuine drinkability. More often that not, the best producers also outwardly display affection and respect for the wines of others.
The Report Card
In the time that Luca has worked in the family business, his remarkable achievements include:
Establishing a set of principles that define the Roagna output and philosophy, dubbed “The Manifesto”.
Becoming of the very few producers working within a system of fully regenerative viticulture, celebrating old vines and the promotion of nutrient-rich soils.
Improving the quality of oak barrels and in doing so, be able to extend the maceration and ageing duration for each wine, within a more diverse range.
Assembling an incredible patchwork of historic Langhe vineyards.
The introduction of concrete and ceramic as supplementary, neutral ageing vessels, perfect for maximising freshness and for storing wines destined for the “Riserva” programme.
Intensive work to identify the best massale selections in key vineyards with full genetic analysis of the vines and mapping of soil profiles in each cru.
Resumed the vinification of wines by single vineyard (from 2004): Asili, Montefico, Paje and Pira.
Introduced a further qualitative selection based on the concept of old vines: “Viti Vecchie”.
Constructed a cavernous, amply equipped cellar in Pira, Castiglione Falletto, 2010, a space to work to exacting standards for multiple generations.
Introduced Barolo del Comune di Barolo (first vintage 2013) from the Terlo vineyard, owned by the family of Romina, Luca’s partner.
Collaborated on a leased parcel of Barbaresco Faset from 2013-2018.
Established a long lease on Albesani and Gallina – historic Neive vineyards from 2014 onwards.
Bought land in Colli Tortonesi to produce a Timorasso in 2014.
Bought 0.48ha in the prestigious Rocche di Castiglione in 2016.
A renovation of the family’s original Barbaresco cellar, completed in 2025.
