Roagna’s 1993 Barolo Riserva La Rocca e La Pira spent a whopping eleven and a half years in oak! Its tannins have mostly melted away, leaving a sublime, ethereal Barolo redolent of dried roses, plums, prunes, baking spices, leather, menthol and anise. It possesses outstanding balance and enough underlying structure to drink well for another decade. The opportunity to purchase an older, ready to drink vintage directly from the producer doesn’t come around too often and Roagna should be commended for making wines like this 1993 Barolo Riserva available. It is a lovely effort. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2017. Luca Roagna is one of the most promising young winemakers in the Langhe. Low yields, late harvests, long macerations and extended periods of oak aging are the rule at this traditionally-minded estate. Historically Barolo and Barbaresco were left to macerate on the skins until around the Christmas holidays, a practice unheard of today but still followed here. The normal bottlings of Barolo and Barbaresco typically see around 50 days of maceration while the selections may see as many as 75 days. The wines then undergo a lengthy sojourn in oak which allows them to develop the tertiary notes that the estate seeks. The wines spend an additional year to year and a half of bottle age before being released. I have mixed feelings about the long oak aging the estate prefers. In some cases the wines have the stuffing to stand up to extended periods in oak, but in other cases I can't help thinking the wines would retain more fruit and freshness if they were bottled earlier. The wines are also very delicate and don't respond well to sudden movement or temperature changes immediately prior to serving. I have had my best luck letting them gradually warm from cold cellar temperature and opening them several hours before serving. Readers who appreciated traditionally made wines should be sure to put Roagna on their radar screens. Importer: Louis Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334-8191