We're thrilled to offer the great wines from Barolo champion, Luciano Sandrone. These are simply some of the most masterfully executed Barolo on the market today. What's more, they'll make up this Saturday's tasting (April 22nd), on from 12 to 2pm!
Being on the slightly more contemporary side, the hallmark of the Sandrone wines is their ability to marry power and intensity, to purity and balance. These are wines of such effortless balance and completeness, they certainly deserve their place among the Barolo elite. Today, more than ever, their wines have never been more relevant or proven.
From a selection of complimentary sites, Le Vigne defies the trend of single vineyard Barolo bottling’s, opting for a ’sum of the parts’ approach. It never fails, is brilliantly complete, and is one of the great wines of Barolo. Oppositely, there are vineyards of such regality and standing that they must be bottled separately. They have such a strong character that they cannot be blended. Cannubi Boschis is one such vineyard, and perhaps one of only a few in Barolo like it. This hugely important and famous Barolo vineyard seems to keep delivering, offering each year a darker and more masculine shade than the more red-fruited Le Vigne. Expect more mouthfilling richness and a more dramatic finish too. Lastly, attention must be drawn to the Valmaggiore Nebbiolo. This is adjacent to entry-level-Barolo in quality, but the feel is quite different; expect more elegance, a more vertical purity and a less intense structure.
This tasting isn't one to miss, so come by Saturday and delve into one of Italy's very finest...
Lineup & Specials Tasting - Saturday 22nd April
2021 Dolcetto d'Alba - $45 on special ; $52 RRP
"Sandrone’s Dolcetto is, without doubt, one of the very finest examples of the region. The consistent quality of this wine—its purity, silky texture, fine tannins and balance—can only come with perfectly ripe fruit from top sites. There are typically 10 different parcels contributing to the blend, with any fruit not making the grade sold off in bulk. Each parcel is vinified separately before blending and the wines are aged in tank only. The amount of care that goes into the growing of this wine is quite remarkable and it shows in the glass." - Importer Notes
“The 2021 Dolcetto d’Alba is bright and punchy. Blue/purplish fruit, violets, spice, licorice and rose petal all meld together in this bracing, taut Dolcetto. This is an especially understated, super-classic style for Sandrone, and it works so well.” - 91 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2020 Barbera d'Alba - $75 on special ; $85 RRP
"Sandrone’s layered and polished Barbera is drawn from four sites: Cascina Pe Mol, (mentioned above); Ravera and Rocche di San Nicola (in Novello); and Albarella (in Barolo). At between 350 and 450 metres, these are some of the highest, most exposed vineyards in the region, bringing superb freshness and vibrancy to this wine. To balance the structure and acidity for which this wine is noted, Sandrone matured the wine in 500 litre tonneaux (40% of which are new). The estate has special, untoasted barrels made in Burgundy for this cuvée to ensure the wood impact is as discreet as possible. Of course, when the wine is young, some wood shows through on the nose, but it is seriously classy oak and is hardly noticeable. With aging, the integration is seamless." - Importer Notes
“The 2020 Barbera d’Alba is another wine that shows the greater refinement at Sandrone these days. Even so, there’s plenty of richness in the ripe red cherry, plum, mocha and spice flavors. Soft, silky contours wrap it all together, with a gentle kiss of oak that lingers. The 2020 is an absolute delight.” - 93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2020 Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d'Alba - $85 on special ; $96 RRP
"Valmaggiore is a magical, three-hectare, amphitheatre-shaped vineyard in the Roero area of Piemonte. Now that Roero is rising in prominence, we can start to truly recognise what a pioneer Luciano Sandrone has been in the region; he established Valmaggiore some 30 years ago. Sandrone worked tirelessly to identify a particular site, then to convince all the farmers on the slope to sell him their land, and finally, he had to convince the bank to fund his project... The wines it gifts justifies Sandrone’s dream: it’s always a remarkably perfumed and elegant expression of Nebbiolo, quite distinct from the denser, darker, more structured styles of wine produced in the clay-rich soils of Barolo and Barbaresco. The site is farmed meticulously and organically, and strict sorting occurs each year to reach the level of purity and intensity we see in the glass today. Fermentation occurs in tank, with maturation in old French demi-muid (with 9-12 months aging). " - Importer Notes
“The 2020 Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore is gorgeous. Crushed red berry, spice, leather, mint and rose petal all grace this exquisite, silky Valmaggiore. The aromatics alone are so beguiling, but all the elements are so nicely balanced. The 2020 is compelling today, but will be even better in another few years.” - 93 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
2018 Barolo 'Le Vigne' - $228 on special ; $260 RRP
“One of my personal favorites, the 2018 Barolo Le Vigne is savory in character and packed with dark fruit. Ripe cherry and redcurrant cedes to spice, licorice and fragrant rose. The oak is integrated, but there are added accents of spice and dark tar. Le Vigne is a blend of fruit from Baudana in Serralunga d’Alba, Villero in Castiglione Falletto, Vignane in Barolo and Merli in Novello.” - 96+ points, Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate
“The delicate mix of creamy red berries and savory, truffley notes keeps your nose glued to the glass. And that subtlety is carried over into the medium-to full-bodied palate, where there’s a youthful balance of silky fruit and lightly firm tannins that drives gently through the long finish. Subtle is the word, but excellent is the verdict. So tempting to drink now, but give it a couple of years. Try from 2024.” - 95 points, James Suckling
2018 Barolo 'Aleste' - $262 on special ; $299 RRP
"The name of the wine may have changed, but Sandrone’s famous single-cru Barolo is still, and will always be, 100% Cannubi Boschis. Boschis is a particular subzone near the northern end of the Cannubi hill. It’s a cru that is synonymous with this grower, as Luciano was the first to place its name on a label (1985), and it is located directly across from the Sandrone cellars. Sandrone farms three plots in Cannubi Boschis, totalling 1.9 hectares with south and south-easterly exposures, calcareous clay soils with some sand, and vines that are on average 37 years of age. The Cannubi slope is complex, with soil changes, many different aspects and variation in altitude. Highlighting the uniqueness of the wines of Cannubi Boschis, as compared to the rest of the Cannubi hill, Alessandro Masnaghetti [L’Enciclopedia delle Grandi Vigne del Barolo] writes, “The wines, in general, have good body, much elegance, and more polished tannins than other Cannubi wines”. First made in 1985, this was one of the pioneering single-cru wines of the region, helping to awaken the wine world to the potential of Barolo’s varied and complex terroirs." - Importer Notes
“The Luciano Sandrone 2018 Barolo Aleste is plump and ripe, but this wine also shows a more delicate character that is its ace card. The aromas are filigreed and fine with dark fruit, spice and licorice. The effect is integrated, and the wine shows a lovely, softer personality to balance out this mildly concentrated expression.” - 96 points, Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate
Also on Tasting
2019 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ronchi - $119 on special ; $135 RRP
This celebrated, limestone-rich Barbaresco Cru runs along the southern belt of the appellation, near the town itself. The Rocca cellars are located just above this southeast-facing vineyard—one of the reasons the site has become synonymous with the name Albino Rocca. Ronchi is also the oldest and largest holding of the estate, extending to almost six hectares (three of Nebbiolo)—roughly a third of the total area of the Cru. With Rocca’s Nebbiolo vines here now aged between 50 and 70 years, this vineyard offers an ideal combination of vine age, deep clay and limestone soils and southeast exposure. 2019 gives a delightfully charismatic Ronchi. Precise aromas of red and blue fruit, mingled with aniseed, pan juices and crushed stone roll onto a palate layered with silky flesh, refined tannins and the cool, linear freshness that is a hallmark of this Cru." - Importer Notes
“The 2019 Barbaresco Ronchi is a deep, potent wine. In this tasting, the Ronchi impresses with its stature, aromatic presence and textural intensity. Dark red cherry, red plum, cinnamon, rose petal and dried flowers emerge with a bit of coaxing, but the Ronchi is one of the least giving wines in the range today. I would cellar it for at least a few years. It is another wine where elegance and power meld together.” - 96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
If you wish to purchase these wines, please use the links above. Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions // Prices valid until Tuesday the 26th of April