Roere di Santa Maria
ROE-eh-reh dee SAN-ta mah-REE-ah
A small, south-facing La Morra MGA producing soft, floral Barolo with ripe fruit and approachable tannins.
Roere di Santa Maria is a 87-acre Barolo MGA in La Morra known for elegant, fruit-forward Nebbiolo with rounder tannins. Its Tortonian soils and cooler microclimate set it apart from the bolder Barolos of Serralunga and Monforte. Monchiero is the sole producer bottling a single-vineyard expression from this site.
- Official MGA name: Roere di Santa Maria; alternate designation: Barolo del Comune di La Morra
- Located in the La Morra commune within Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, Italy
- Total area: 87.46 acres, planted exclusively to Nebbiolo
- Elevation: 205 to 270 meters, with south and southwest-facing aspects
- Soils: yellow-reddish sand alternating with grey marl of Tortonian age
- Climate is continental with cool nights, higher rainfall, and lower GDD accumulation than other Barolo zones
- Monchiero relabeled its wine as 'Barolo del Comune di La Morra' from the 2016 vintage onward
Location and Classification
Roere di Santa Maria sits within the La Morra commune, one of the most celebrated villages in the Barolo DOCG zone of Piedmont. It is one of 170 officially recognized MGAs (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) within Barolo DOCG, a classification system formally introduced in 2010. The vineyard spans 87.46 acres and occupies south and southwest-facing slopes at elevations between 205 and 270 meters above sea level.
- One of 170 official Barolo MGAs recognized under the 2010 MGA system
- Parent commune: La Morra; parent appellation: Barolo DOCG
- South and southwest aspects maximize sun exposure across the site
- Alternate label designation: Barolo del Comune di La Morra
Soils and Climate
The soils at Roere di Santa Maria are defined by Tortonian-age geology, with yellow-reddish sand alternating with grey marl. This sandy, less compact soil composition is characteristic of La Morra and contributes to the softer, more aromatic style of Nebbiolo grown here. The climate is continental, featuring cool nights, warm days, higher rainfall, and lower growing degree day (GDD) accumulation compared to other Barolo communes such as Serralunga d'Alba and Monforte d'Alba. This cooler, wetter environment supports a wine style that tends toward elegance rather than power.
- Tortonian-age soils: yellow-reddish sand alternating with grey marl
- Sandy marl composition yields softer tannins in the resulting wines
- Lower GDD accumulation than Serralunga or Monforte zones
- Higher rainfall contributes to freshness and aromatic lift
Wine Style
Nebbiolo from Roere di Santa Maria produces Barolo that is softer, more immediately approachable, and more fruit-forward than wines from the Serralunga or Monforte zones. Rounder tannins and prominent floral aromatics characterize the style, making these wines accessible earlier in their development. The combination of sandy soils and a cooler, higher-rainfall microclimate drives this profile, placing Roere di Santa Maria firmly in the more delicate, perfumed end of the Barolo spectrum.
- Rounder tannins and softer structure than Serralunga or Monforte Barolos
- Floral aromatics and ripe fruit character are defining traits
- More approachable in youth than many other Barolo MGAs
- Style reflects La Morra's sandy Tortonian soils and cooler conditions
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Open Wine Lookup →Producers and Labeling
Roere di Santa Maria is a small vineyard with very few producers. Monchiero is the only producer known to bottle a single-vineyard wine sourced exclusively from this MGA. Gian Luca Colombo also works with the site. Notably, Monchiero changed its label designation from 'Barolo Roere di Santa Maria' to 'Barolo del Comune di La Morra' beginning with the 2016 vintage, reflecting a broader labeling choice rather than a change in the source vineyard.
- Monchiero: the sole producer of a dedicated single-vineyard Roere di Santa Maria Barolo
- Gian Luca Colombo is among the producers working with this MGA
- From 2016, Monchiero relabeled the wine as Barolo del Comune di La Morra
- Limited number of producers reflects the small size and relative obscurity of the site
Soft and elegant Barolo with rounder tannins, ripe red fruit, and prominent floral aromatics including violet and rose. The style is lighter-bodied and more approachable in youth than wines from Serralunga or Monforte, with good freshness supported by the cooler, higher-rainfall microclimate.
- Monchiero Barolo del Comune di La Morra (formerly Barolo Roere di Santa Maria)$50-80The only dedicated single-vineyard bottling from this MGA; relabeled from 2016 vintage onward.Find →
- Roere di Santa Maria is one of 170 officially recognized MGAs within Barolo DOCG; the MGA system was introduced in 2010.
- Soils are Tortonian-age: yellow-reddish sand alternating with grey marl, producing softer tannins compared to Helvetian soils of Serralunga.
- The La Morra commune generally produces softer, more aromatic Barolo due to sandier soils and a cooler, higher-rainfall climate.
- Monchiero is the only producer making a single-vineyard Barolo from this site; from 2016 the label reads 'Barolo del Comune di La Morra'.
- Elevation ranges from 205 to 270 meters with south and southwest-facing aspects; total vineyard area is 87.46 acres.