Luciano Sandrone Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore 2017
$83.99
6 pack or more buy LIMITED new vintage. Super fine expression of Nebbiolo reminds me more of Burgundy.
Out of stock
Description
“Extraordinary producers of Barolo, Luciano Sandrone and his wife worked at Marchesi di Barolo before acquiring a tiny plot of land outside their native village of Barolo in 1977. Theirs quickly became a cult wine, first with their 1982 and 1985 vintages. Then they made a wine that merited one of the first perfect scores I ever gave a Barolo, the 1990. There is attention to detail in the vineyard and in the winery at every level, and the results are wines that are hybrid creations, paying respect to both progressives and traditionalists.” Robert Parker, The World’s Greatest Wine Estates
“Luciano Sandrone is one of the leading lights in Piedmont. No grower has managed to so brilliantly reconcile modern and traditional approaches in making wines that are soft, supple and approachable when young, but also capable of aging beautifully.” Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate
One of the things least discussed about this famous producer is the quality of their work in the vineyards. Sandrone is truly one of the regional leaders in this area. Firstly, they are organic in a region where organic practice is still very rare. Secondly, Luca Sandrone is a perfectionist (like his brother) and is completely obsessed with the vines he manages. His focus is very much on making the vines stronger, healthier and more resilient rather than the symptomatic approach that is so typical. A great deal of the vineyard work is done by hand with the Estate employing twelve full time workers in the vines alone (for 27 hectares). Luca and Luciano openly reference Burgundy in their approach and seek to harvest only perfectly ripe and perfectly clean fruit. This is one of the keys to the purity and flesh of the wines. Another little known fact is that 30-50% of the fruit is fermented whole bunch with the destemmed portion of the fruit also having a very high percentage of whole berries. Luciano Sandrone remembers well that once upon a time all of the wines of the region were made without destemming. All the maturation occurs in large format oak, 500 litre and beyond, and only a small percentage of this oak is new (10% across the winery). In the cellar the work is very minimal with only wild yeast fermentation and no filtration. The macerations are managed very carefully and the bottling occurs relatively early as Luciano Sandrone wants to capture the finest tannins and as much fruit purity as possible (another key to understanding the wines produced here).
Of course, like all great growers, the main key is the vineyards themselves. There is no doubt that today Sandrone works with a spectacular range of Barolo vineyards. Yes there is the famous Cannubi Boschis, but there are also outstanding Barolo sites in Monforte, Serralunga, Castiglione Falletto, Novello and more in the Barolo township itself, that all feed the Le Vigne cuvee. Little wonder then that this wine now comfortably rivals (and some would argue in certain years eclipses) the Cannubi for quality.
A precipitous 50% gradient in places, Valmaggiore is planted to a high density of 8,000 vines per hectare and the soil here is comprised almost entirely of pure sand littered with fossilised crustaceans (i.e. it is a chalky sand). This soil gifts a remarkably perfumed and elegant expression of Nebbiolo, nothing to do with the more powerful style of wine produced in the clay rich soils of Barolo and Barbaresco. For those new to this wine, the Sandrone family first came to the Valmaggiore in 1990 and it took them several years to buy up the 28 individual parcels that form the continuous three-hectare holding owned today. The vineyard is farmed meticulously and organically, and a strict sorting occurs each year to reach the level of purity and intensity we see in the wine today. After primary fermentation in tank, the malo and maturation, for 12 months, occur in aged French oak (500 litre). The note below really nails it – this is one of the best examples of Valmaggiore we’ve tried. It’s a wine of such remarkable purity (violets, dried rose petals and small red fruits) and finesse,a wine built on perfume. I can’t recommend it highly enough although don’t buy it if you love power, buy it if you love pretty, pure and nuanced wines that are also incredibly delicious!
Of course vine age is playing an ever greater role in the quality of this wine being released each year.. Deep, fragrant and age-worthy, the 2017 offers up notes of dark cherry, pomegranate and tea, while the palate is super-fine, tightly wound and classy. There is superb purity of fruit and fine yet abundant tannins. If drinking now, the decanter is your friend. It will be even better with 5-10 years in the cellar.
92 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media: “The 2017 Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore is bright, fruity and absolutely delicious. The warm vintage seems to have given the Valmaggiore an extra kick of mid-palate sweetness, which is not a bad thing for a wine that can at times be a bit lean. Sweet red berry fruit and floral notes are nicely pushed forward. The 2017 will benefit from a few years in bottle, which will allow the aromatics to develop, but it is impeccable in its balance and super-classy, even in the early going.”
92 points, Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate
“With scorching heat and little rain overall, there was reason for worry during the 2017 growing season at large, but in the Roero zone by the banks of the Tanaro river, the hilly Valmaggiore vineyards received more rain than other parts of Piedmont, so these grapes did not suffer as much. Lovely notes of red rose and some herbal tones appear on the nose of the 2017 Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore, coupled with balsam, spice and rosemary. It’s voluminous in the mouth, and while the Le Vigne Barolo tends to be the most floral and delicately ethereal of Sandrone’s release, this bouquet is distinctive in its own way. It would be a nice pair with a mushroom risotto.”
RRP $103 Our price when you buy 6 bottles or more
Additional information
Producer | Luciano Sandrone |
---|---|
Region or Country | Barolo, Italy, Piedmont |
Variety | Nebbiolo |
Vintage | 2017 |
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.