Piemonte has been attracting increasing interest over the past couple of years, interest that has intensified thanks to the recent highly esteemed 2016 Barolo releases. Barolo takes centre stage in Piemonte, and rightly so perhaps – it produces some of the finest, and increasingly most sought after wines in the world. However, with so much focus on the flagship wine of the region, it is easy to overlook the raft of attractive, early drinking wines, made from both Nebbiolo and other indigenous grape varieties.
While our collective appreciation of the wines of Piemonte in general is at an all-time high, Sandrone’s wines occupy a particularly lofty position in the hierarchy; their two exceptional Barolo – Le Vigne and Aleste (formerly Cannubi Boschis) – are often among the standouts of a vintage. Whilst these wines are undoubtedly the gems of the range, this remarkable quality can be found right up and down the scale at Sandrone, whose more humble wines are hugely impressive and offer incredible value.
We are offering a mixed 12 bottle case to include the following:
4 bottles of 2019 Dolcetto d’Alba, Luciano Sandrone
4 bottles of 2018 Barbera d’Alba, Luciano Sandrone
4 bottles of 2018 Nebbiolo d’Alba, Valmaggiore, Luciano Sandrone
Sandrone Mixed Drinking Case, £270 per 12 bottle case including duty, VAT and delivery.
Dolcetto d’Alba 2019
Made in an attractive, approachable and fruity style, Dolcetto’s juicy fruit profile and silky texture make it an appealing early drinker. Gentle extraction is employed, with the focus on retaining purity of fruit. With that in mind, Sandrone ferment in stainless steel to retain the bright, vibrant fruit character, before ageing for 3 months in bottle before release. The resulting wine is an expressive, fragrant wine of juicy, sweetly scented black and red fruits lifted by a floral note and supported by gentle tannins - best drunk over the next 2-3 years.
Barbera d’Alba 2018
Barbera is the most planted variety in Piemonte, and while it has long held a reputation as the workhorse grape, there are a number of high quality, concentrated examples being made which have the capacity to age further in bottle. Sandrone’s Barbera is hand harvested, and aged in (mostly new) 500L French casks, and then a further 9 months in bottle before release – as you can see, a huge amount of care is taken to produce a high quality wine with the complexity to age further in bottle. Sandrone’s Barbera shows concentrated, ripe red plum and raspberry fruit, some sweet spice and vanilla – though the oak is not overdone here, instead adding a touch of creaminess to balance the inherent freshness of Barbera. Ripe and approachable now, it will drink nicely over the next 5+ years.
Nebbiolo d’Alba, Valmaggiore 2018
With its naturally high acidity and tannins, and an intense and complex flavour profile, Nebbiolo lends itself perfectly to the creation of the long-lived fine wines of the region. It is difficult to grow well, and in cooler vintages can struggle to ripen, though this has become less of a problem in recent years, thanks to warmer, longer summers. Sandrone’s Nebbiolo Valmaggiore has the advantage of coming from vines grown on steep slopes in a south-facing amphitheatre in Roero, offering full sun exposure, so the grapes have no trouble ripening. Younger vines and a gentler extraction and maturation process result in a softer, lighter style of wine to big brother Barolo. On such steep slopes, fruit is hand-harvested and then matured in 500L French oak casks. The 2018 Nebbiolo Valmaggiore is precise and pure – layers of orange peel, floral notes and fresh red berries are backed by a refreshing acidity and soft tannins. Whilst drinking now, it will hold another 5-10 years in bottle.
Sandrone Mixed Drinking Case, £270 per 12 bottle case including duty, VAT and delivery.
Wines are available for immediate delivery. Do let us know of your interest.
Best wishes
Laura