The Roagna family was producing wine long before the Barbaresco classification came to be in 1890. The family has continually purchased land, and expanded their wine selection through the years, always staying close to tradition and to the land. Luca Roagna is the fifth generation to work the vines alongside his father Alfredo. One of the few estates offering Barbareso and Barolo in its range, Roagna has also been granted the rare privilege of being able to vinify their wines outside of the appellation zones.
Luca avoids the use of all herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers in favour of traditional practices. He believes the grasses and wildflowers between the vines add complexity and depth to the terroir in addition to protecting from erosion. He also prefers to trample the grasses instead of cutting which enables the avoidance of fertilizers, even organic ones. Although he follows an all-natural approach, he has never applied for the organic certification. Their approaches seem to be working; the average vine age is 55-60 years old and the vines are still healthy and productive. When an old vine dies, Luca uses a technique in place before phylloxera changed vine planting, by choosing to bury a vine shoot from the closest vine, instead of grafting onto a rootstock.
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