Barbaresco Albesani, Roagna 2019 75cl
Albesani is one of Neive's great crus, and Roagna's 2019 shows Barbaresco at its most graceful. This is Nebbiolo grown on prized calcareous soils, farmed organically by Luca Roagna and made with the same patient, old-school hand the family brings to their Barolo.
Roagna hold their wines back for years, ageing in large Slavonian oak and releasing only when the wine has begun to knit together. The 2019 vintage in the Langhe was classically structured with excellent aromatic definition, and Albesani captures that beautifully.
Look for a translucent garnet colour and a nose of red rose, raspberry, sweet tobacco and a mineral, almost saline edge. Barbaresco tends to wear its tannins a touch more elegantly than Barolo, and here the structure is fine and persistent rather than muscular, with high acidity carrying a long, savoury finish scented with dried herbs and orange zest.
At around £290 this is a benchmark grower Barbaresco and a proper cellar wine. It drinks with real perfume now if decanted, but will be at its best from 2026 through the 2030s.
How to Serve
Serve at 16-18C in a large Burgundy-style glass. Decant an hour or two ahead to let the perfume open.
Where to Drink It
Bocca di Lupo in Soho for Piedmontese cooking. Luca in Clerkenwell for Italian precision. Noble Rot in Bloomsbury for the wine geekery.
Food Pairings
Agnolotti del plin in butter and sage, or roast pheasant with lentils.
