Luciano Sandrone Barbera d’Alba 2020 (6 Bottles) Barbera d’Alba, Italy

$452.00 GST Included

AUSTRALIA WIDE SHIPPING INCLUDED

Sandrone’s layered and polished Barbera is drawn from three sites: Cascina Pe Mol, Ravera and Rocche di San Nicola (in Novello). At between 350-450 metres, these are some of the finest, highest and most exposed vineyards in the region. All of the vineyards of Sandrone are managed organically by the talented Luca Sandrone.

Cascina Pe Mol sits at the top of the ridge leading from Monforte d’Alba to the hamlet of Perno and is among the highest vineyards in the region, and Ravera sits on whitish marls with an easterly exposure, which contributes perfume and aromatic complexity. Rocche di San Nicola is an extremely steep vineyard at the very end of the Novello promontory, its sun-trapping location helping to deliver ripeness and texture to balance Barbera’s natural acidity.

To bring the structure for which this wine is noted, Sandrone mature their Barbera 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 there is plenty of fleshy, plummy, fruit to go with it, as well as a twist of anise in play. Overall a beautifully layered and textured Piemontese red.

“Ripeness is pushed to the edge in the 2017 Barbera d’Alba, a wine that very much shows the flamboyance of the year. Super-ripe red cherry, red plum, exotic flowers and sweet spice all race out of the glass in a hedonistic, full-throttle wine loaded with personality. There is zero subtlety here, but the wine is undoubtedly very pretty.” 92 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

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“Every year and every bottle tells the story of a dream come true: the young cellarman who became one of Barolo’s emblamatic figures.” Gambero Rosso 2009

“In a region full of outspoken, colorful producers, Sandrone remains soft-spoken and rather shy, but his wines speak for themselves rather eloquently.” Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

Sandrone is the Barolo producer whose wines most remind us of Burgundy. The suave, seamless texture, fine tannins and depth of flavour of these Barolos makes them some of the most sought-after wines of the region. With age, they are so polished, so pure, so seductive. Sandrone uses 500lt barrels (typically only 10% – 20% new), picks at very low yields and bottles his wines before they lose their freshness or purity. His wines are wonderfully intense and vibrant with ripe, fine tannins. They drink well young and age brilliantly. Like most of the greatest producers he takes the best of the old school and incorporates the best of the new.
The wines are bright and beautifully sophisticated which we suppose is up to date, but many of the methods are essentially old school: organic viticulture (is that modern or traditional?), open-top fermentation tanks, elongated skin contact, natural yeast fermentation, no barriques and no additions, bottling without filtration, and so on.

Of course what is most important is that irrespective of fashion or style, Luciano Sandrone crafts wines of profound integrity, purity and deep expression. These are wines made with passion and honesty. They provide great drinking pleasure both when young and with bottle age. As a fastidious and naturally talented vigneron, Sandrone’s obligation to keep the unique signature of the terroirs alive is vividly captured in the wonderfully intense wines

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