This is a fascinating wine made with mostly Chardonnay (75%) and a smaller part Nebbiolo fermented off the skins as a white wine. Both grapes come from the Pira cru in Castiglione Falletto. The Roagna 2017 Langhe Solea opens to a bright off-gold color with warm-vintage aromas of ripe peach, cantaloupe melon and preserved lemon. There are some sweet aromas of candied almond and butterscotch as well. This is a mid-weight wine with extra tannic grip and power thanks to the Nebbiolo in the blend. You'd do well to pair it with a fatty fish such as salmon or grilled swordfish steak. Some 225 cases (of 12 bottles each) were released.

The 2016 Langhe Solea is a blend of mostly Chardonnay with 20% Nebbiolo (grapes are sourced from the Pira vineyard and are processed off the skins as a white wine). Luca Roagna’s father first made this wine as an experiment in 1988. The two varieties are immediately assembled and fermented as one. In fact, the Chardonnay is harvested at full maturity to add to the pronounced aromatic profile of the wine, and the Nebbiolo is harvested early in order to provide the acidity and crispness. The wine ages in new oak for two years, with that oak transferred over to the red-wine program afterwards. This is a luminous and bright white wine with a very unique and precise aromatic profile—almost exotic I would say—that prizes apricot, preserves lemon, toasted almond and a touch of Moroccan spice.