2006 Barolo La Pira Riserva

Two Italian wines. The 2006 Barolo Riserva Pira Black Label from Roagna confirmed Antonio’s review already on the database. It’s just divine. To reiterate, this is the 2021 release of around 2,400 bottles that spent five years in cask and ten in concrete. Lush and dazzlingly pure on the nose, it gifts wild strawberries, maraschino cherries, subtle hints of fennel and Moroccan spices that you just want to dive into. The palate is supremely well-balanced with just a very faint medicinal note. A perfect line of acidity with even a suggestion of pain d’épice on the finish, this Barolo from the top drawer, the kind you just fall in love with.

The 2006 Barolo Pira Riserva Black Label is a tiny selection of about 2,400 bottles that spent five years in cask and then a decade in cement. Dense, exotic and beautifully layered, the Riserva captures that sense of timelessness that is often a signature of the Roagna wines - a place in time in which wines are both aged and young at the same time. It's that co-existence in two different worlds that defines many of the best wines here. Spice, orange zest, chocolate, spice, star anise and sweet pipe tobacco lend nuance to a wine that is just entering its first plateau of maturity.

Here's a fascinating discovery from the quiet underground cellars of Roagna. The 2006 Barolo Riserva Pira is deeply saturated and sophisticated, with a dark garnet, almost crimson appearance that remains luminous and bright throughout. In terms of structure, the tannins have been softened and tapered down, thanks to bottle aging. The wine is literally weightless on the palate today. In a similar manner, the bouquet has become a seamless expression of evolved Nebbiolo, with a slew of licorice, ashy and dried berry aromas. This is a delight, and the wine is ready to drink if that is your pleasure.