Here's something special — and a little bit off the beaten path: a beautiful, mineral-driven blend of Chardonnay and direct-press Nebbiolo, grown on limestone-rich soils in...Piedmont!

Of course, it’s not simply grown in Piedmont, it’s grown and made by the Roagna family. In the panoply of great Piedmont producers, Roagna indisputably belongs in the top tier. Their priciest single-vineyard Barolos and Barbarescos are like catnip to top collectors. But Luca Roagna still makes a few wines that are affordable and — for the moment, at least — available in the large enough quantities that we can offer nearly every vintage.

There’s simply no other wine (that we know of, at least) quite like Roagna’s Langhe Bianco. Piemontese Chardonnay isn’t a “thing”, really, but when it was planted, back in the ‘80s, there was some solid reasoning behind the choice. Pre-global warming, Nebbiolo didn’t always achieve full ripeness, especially on less advantageous expositions. And so, on the clay-limestone soils of their east-facing slopes (in no lesser terroir than the Barbaresco zone!), the Roagnas planted Chardonnay. That very Burgundian combination of clay and limestone must have seemed perfect for Burgundy’s famous white grape.

Time has proven their instincts right. The vines are now mature and the wine has the elegance and refinement of Burgundy with the joyful vibrancy of great Piedmontese wine. The structure clearly comes from the soil. But there's something to the fruit that feels quintessentially Italian. The smattering of co-planted Nebbiolo vines add a certain je ne sais quoi and generous red fruit flavors.

This is perfect to drink now, but if you can lay some down, it will evolve nicely with just a few years. And while we have enough to share with our newsletter readers today, there are only 5000 or so bottles produced every year, so now’s your chance to stock up. Take advantage of our deepest discount to make future you a very happy person:

Roagna, Langhe Bianco, 2023 $37.99
90% Chardonnay and 10% direct press Nebbiolo fermented in large, neutral, oak and aged for 22 months before bottling. This is a lovely, textural, concentrated, mineral-driven white that loves a bit of air to truly show its stuff.