.. Straw Hats!

Azienda Agricola I Paglieri da Alfredo E Giovanni Roagna Viticoltori, Barbaresco

´´Tráeme la cabeza de Alfredo Roagna´´

Roagna may be one of the most acclaimed estates not only in Italy but now Worldwide, and there is zero danger of the Roagnas resting on their laurels, for all their affability both Luca and Alfredo espouse a degree of perfectionism that is frankly awe-inspiring. Based in Castiglione Falletto in Barolo, Roagna is mostly associated with neighbouring Barbaresco.

The family has been making wines here since the mid-Nineteenth Century. In 1958, Giovanni Roagna,

(Alfredo’s grandfather) would, for the first time, vinify separately the fruit of a tiny parcel of vines towards the top of the Pajè vineyard, and so the mythical Crichët Pajè  was born. Immensely age-worthy, with a presence, persistence and sense of place that is simply beguiling, and the wines can be disarmingly expressive even in their youth.

2016 Roagna Barbaresco Crichët Pajè
“…shows more depth and muscle, along with a distinctly savory imprint that is quite beguiling. Sweet dried cherry, spice, crushed flowers, mint and incense infuse the 2016 with notable depth. “

2014 Roagna Barbaresco Crichët Pajè
“…is an exotic, totally beguiling wine laced with super-classic Nebbiolo notes of rose petal, orange peel, cinnamon and macerated cherry. Aromatic, sensual and constantly changing in the glass, this is everything Nebbiolo and Barbaresco are supposed to be.”

2013 Roagna Barbaresco Crichët Pajè
“…the remaining fruit is used here. The wine shows a combination of sweetness and power with chalky tannins to close.”

2002 Roagna Barbaresco Crichët Pajè
“… is hauntingly beautiful. Sweet dried red cherry, mint, sweet pipe tobacco, white pepper, orange peel, cinnamon, spicecake.”

Today, we have a small selection of Barbaresco C.P. to offer you:

Roagna Barbaresco Crichët Pajè
1 mag     1978 @ £3.350magnum* = SOLD!
1 bottle   2000 @ £960bt
2 bottles  2002 @ £935bt
1 bottle   2004 @ £2.995bt
1 bottle   2006 @ £915bt
1 bottle   2008 @ £935bt
1 bottle   2011 @ £795bt
1dbl magnum 2011 @ £3.300double magnum*

1 x 3ltr Double Magnum 2011 Crichët Pajè

1 bottle   2012 @ £1.000bt
1 bottle   2013 @ £835bt
2 bottles  2014 @ £920bt

2 bottles   2015 @ £1.050bt
2 bottles   2016 @ £1.090bt

and other Roagna rarities in stock …. 

Roagna Barolo
6 bottles 2014 @ £79bt (it comes in it’s original case*)

The 2014 Barolo is a gorgeous entry-level wine in Luca Roagna’s range. Sweet spice, tobacco, dried rose petal, orange peel, menthol and pine give the 2014 a distinctly balsamic profile that is hugely appealing. Medium in body, yet potent and classically austere (as these wines tend to be), the 2014 is supremely delicious. The bouquet alone is incredibly enticing. The Barolo del Comune di Barolo is made entirely from a small parcel in the Terlo cru, but Luca Roagna does not own the site, so he prefers to bottle it under the village designation rather than as a vineyard designate. The 2014 is a real overachiever in its peer group for the year. I loved it. 

    92/100pts A.Galloni

Roagna Opera Prima VI (1985)

1 bottle VI @ £285bt

Made from Nebbiolo grapes from 1983, 1984 & 1985 vintages. This blend of vintages has produced wonderful results for this wine. Powerful and elegant, with complx noble aromas with a light herbaceous note.

The name PAJÈ originates from the Piedmontese dialect and was the name historically given to the different vineyards owned by the Roagna family since 1953, it is one of the historic pieces of land in Barbaresco. 

Geographically, it is in the middle of the municipality. Enjoying southerly, south-westerly exposure, it is characterised by calcareous marl soil with a high content of active limestone, particularly in the Crichet Pajé plot.

Pajé is our historical vineyard with the highest limestone concentration. The soil is of Tertiary (Cenozoic) origin, formed around 70 million years ago by marine sedimentation. Pajé hill is the perfect example of a Langa hill: a gently sloping strip of land protected against the winds by the hills around it, open to the Tanaro river valley, which mitigates the cold winters and especially the hot summers.

It is a natural amphitheatre situated at an average altitude of 230 m above sea level, an ideal and historical habitat for cultivating vines. The grape varieties cultivated on Pajé are Nebbiolo (occupying an area of 1.83 ha) and Dolcetto in the lower part. The average age of the vines is over 50 years.

Pajé

Changeing the theme a touch, I must thank my brother-in-law Michael C-F for sending over to me the latest Financial Times article by Jancis (I seem to know everything about wine) Robinson or Robertson MW. Sorry, I know that once upon a time one was a Jam/Marmalade (I used to collect their Golly Wog badges) and the other is a kind of sexy character in that great movie ‘The Graduate’ (Anne Bancroft) accompanied of course by Simon & Garfunkels: ”..and here’s to you Mrs Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know, whoa, whoa, whoa. God bless you please Mrs Robinson….” 

Now, in this FT article Jancis R? is writing about left over wines, and what to do with them? What is all this about I ask? She has many requests from FT readers, as to what to do with their wine leftovers? I find it a little funny and a bit curious at the same time that these people who buy wine, read the FT and also need to ask Jancis R MW via the noble pink rag for her advise on all of this, as if a Master of Wine does not have better things to do than to explain to FT readers that if you cannot finish a bottle of wine, on your own? or in good company then either chose better wine or don’t panic as you may have other options available to you. W.P.H. (moi) here suggests that you drink it all up like a good boy/girl, or put the cork back in and pop it in the fridge until you want to have another drop later on or the following day. If the question is as obsequious as I think it is, what the questioners are really asking this hard working MW is, how long can I leave my bottle of wine open before it goes off, kind of thing. For goodness sake people, who knows that? there is no guarantee thank goodness as to how long your stingy finishing off of a 75cl bottle of wine amounts to. Other ideas that Jancis could have mentioned, of course, is that you can always cook with the leftovers, or you can make a wine vinegar with it, and you can also marinade a piece of beef or venison with the left over wine and then roast it in the oven. As for an Osobuco recipe, just make sure you use white wine leftovers only, Delicious! After all this nonsense, if you seriously do not know what to do with your vinous leftovers then maybe clean the kitchen sink them. Life is too short for keeping or asking about wine leftovers. I do remember a famous wine critique recently pouring down the sink 10 vintages, after a vertical tasting in his office at home,  of J-F Coche Dury Corton-Charlemagne as he did not know what to do with the leftovers …… OMG!

”No leftovers down here Jancis …. ”