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Cannubi Long Color

News from the Cantina   

December 9, 2013

In This Issue
Upcoming Events
Recent Press
Harvest 2013
An Older Vintage!
Winemaking 2013
Meet the Staff
Current Releases
Sibi et Paucis
Barolo Resting in the Cantina

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Upcoming
Events

 

For more information on tasting events around the world, please go to our "Events" page.  

 

 

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December 6-7, 2013

Paris, France

Bettane + Desseauve

 

Le Grand Tasting

 

B+D Grand Tasting
 

 

Barbara will be on hand to pour some of our new releases: Dolcetto, Valmaggiore, Barbera and Barolo Le Vigne.

We are honored to participate in this prestigious tasting of some of the world's greatest wines (and any opportunity to get to Paris is by definition good one ...)

 

Look for us at booth 93 of the Italy section in the Carrousel du Louvre events space. We look forward to seeing you there.

  

 

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23-25 March, 2014

ProWein

D�sseldorf, Germany

 

 

Prowein

 

 

Block out the dates for ProWein, the first of the big wine events of 2014!

 

 

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April 6-7-8-9, 2014

VinItaly

 Verona, Italy

 

 

Vinitaly 2

 

 

All the world comes to Verona for the VinItaly fair - we hope to see you there! Check our events page for details of our participation.

 

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Recent Press

Wine Advocate rates 
2009 Barolo

WA Logo

New Wine Advocate reviewer Monica Larner covered 
the 2009 Barolo in 
Issue 207 of the Wine Advocate.

Congrats to Monica on her new position!

95 points
"The 2009 Barolo Le Vigne shows class and pedigree with bright fruit tones carefully wrapped within the wine's elegant texture. The purity and the intensity of the wine are exceptional, especially when compared to other Barolos from this vintage. The bouquet is polished and long, with pristine accents of spice, licorice and anise seed. Made with fruit sourced from various parcels, this wine speaks with a strong and confident tone. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2028."


2009 Barolo Cannubi Boschis:
96+ points.  
"The single-vineyard 2009 Barolo Cannubi Boschis opens with intense focus and sharpness. Beyond its dark color and bold appearance is a stunning embroidery of delicate floral and wild berry aromas. It's easy to recognize each distinct layer: licorice, tar, pressed violets, dried mint, white truffle and wet earth. Silky tannins, long and fine, give the wine structure and longevity. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030."

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Reviews 2009 Barolo
Reviewer: Kerin O'Keefe: 

WE Logo Long

95 points. 
September 1, 2013
"This is a stunning wine with intense floral scents of iris, violet and rose layered with hints of mint and coffee. The palate is rich and vibrant, with a core of black cherry wrapped in cinnamon and spice. This is superbly balanced, elegant and structured. Enjoyable now, this will also age well."
 
 
94 points. 
September 1, 2013
This rich Barolo shows ripe plum and prune, forest floor and truffle, layered with well-integrated oak, roasted coffee bean, chocolate and licorice. Reflecting the forward character of the vintage, it has very ripe, refined tannins and is already enjoyable.
 
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Revue de Vin Logo  
has included Barbara and the Sandrone Cantina in a recent article on the region. 
 
The article recommended two "tours" and we are included in the pedestrian tour of the village of Barolo. The writers recommend our 2010 Valmaggiore 
as a "do-not-miss" wine.
 
Page 1 of the article here.
Page 2 with itineraries here.
  
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vinous logo

Antonio Galloni has reviewed both 2009 Barolo bottlings and 2011 Valmaggiore in 
These reviews were posted 
May 2013. 

Congrats to Antonio on his new venture!

On the 2009 vintage in general
"I have been following the 2009 Barolos for several years. Tasting patiently, first from barrel, then from bottle. Waiting. Waiting for that spark that all the truly great years have. But it has never happened with the 2009s. I suppose it is only natural. How many great vintages can a region have in a decade? The 2000s have been particularly kind to Piedmont. First the powerful 2001s, then the silky 2004s, the graceful, if a bit light 2005s, the structured 2006s, the opulent 2007s, the classic 2008s and the majestic 2010s. Well, you get the picture. In this context, it is frankly hard to get excited about the 2009 Barolos. Overall, this is a fairly average vintage with many good wines, a few superstars and a bevy of Barolos that will drink well right out of the gate. But the visceral thrill of the truly great vintages, sadly, is not there."

But of our wines, he said:

"The 2009 Sandrone Barolos are fascinating studies in contrasts. I have a slight preference for Le Vigne over the Cannubi Boschis. In challenging vintages, such as 2009, the ability to blend fruit from different sources is a huge advantage, as opposed to pure single-vineyard wines like Cannubi Boschis that remain wedded to the performance of single sites. Sandrone is one of the first producers to bottle, a decision that served him well in maintaining as much freshness as possible in this warm year."
 
93 points.
The 2009 Barolo Le Vigne impresses for its textural finesse and sheer silkiness. Sweet red berries, crushed flowers, spices and mint are all woven together nicely. There is plenty of early appeal in this mid-weight, gracious Barolo from Sandrone. The integration of fruit and tannin is simply masterful. The 2009 may start shutting down a bit in bottle, but it is likely to enjoy a fairly broad window of drinkability. I wouldn't wait too long, however. 
Drinking window: 2017 - 2027

92 points.
An exotic, compelling wine, the 2009 Barolo Cannubi Boschis bursts from the glass with juicy dark plums, cherries, licorice, incense and spices. The 2009 is rich, round and enveloping from start to finish. With time in the glass, the wine's minerality becomes more apparent. The Cannubi Boschis is quite a bit richer and deeper than Le Vigne, with broader shoulders and more overall stuffing. 
Drinking window: 2016 - 2027
 
90 points.
Sandrone's 2011 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore graces the palate with savory herbs, dried flowers, red cherries, licorice and mint. Already a touch forward, the 2011 looks to be best suited for drinking over the next handful of years, even if Nebbiolo can be quite deceptively in its ability to hold over long periods of time. Nothing in particular stands out, just the wine's lovely sense of balance and poise. 
Drinking window: 2017 - 2024

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Wine Spectator 

WS Logo Vertical


90 points.

"This red is full of sweet cherry, strawberry and floral aromas and flavors, allied to a vibrant structure. Balanced and focused, with a mouthwatering, spicy finish. Best from 2016 through 2028. 235 cases imported." -BS

90 points
"Coffee, licorice, tar and spice flavors mingle in this rich, firmly structured red. A bit reticent, with a sweet core and dense, dusty tannins on the finish. Best from 2017 through 2030. 450 cases imported." -BS

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Greetings!

The 2013 harvest has drawn to a successful close. The last wines were racked off the skins by the middle of November and we are thankful for the high quality of the wines we were able to produce after the difficult, wet spring.

The cantina in fog, November 2013

 

As we prepare to move the wines to tonneaux we are able to take a deep breath and really apprecaite just how difficult a vintage the 2013 conditions gave us - there was never really a moment to relax. 2013 has been a vintage that reminded us that no matter how much accumulated experience one has, no matter how good the team, you always have to stay alert and on your toes. 2013 certainly gave us reason to appreciate just  how well our team works together and how well they support each other - because this vintage threw us one screwball after another (pardon the baseball analogy; hats off to Boston!). In the end, we are extremely happy with the results we have achieved in both the vineyards and the winemaking.

 

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Jeroboam
Auguri Jeroboam! Congratulations for 20 years!
... Barbara with smiley-face icon ;-)

This fall marked the 20th anniversary of our Japanese importer Jeroboam, and we would like to congratulate Jeroboam on their tireless hard work and unstinting effort on our behalf in the important Japanese market. We have been working with Jeroboam for many happy years and they are an important part of our work to educate the wine-consuming public about the Langhe and our wines. Thank you Jeroboam and we wish for you many more years of great success!

 

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NYC, Broadway
NYC, Broadway

 

nullDuring the middle of the harvest madness, Barbara was able to make her way to New York for a few days to participate in the Wine Spectator's New York Wine Experience. She met with collectors, sommeliers and some of our most important restaurant and retail accounts while in the city. The event is always a great resource for us and we appreciate the Wine Spectator including us in the top wineries of the world
(check the Wine Spectator's home page for news of next year's event, and there are "Grand Tour" events being held around the US in April-May of next year). It's always a pleasure to pour our wines for people who are curious, passionate and enthusiastic.

 

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Luciano in Cannubi
Luciano among his beloved Nebbiolo vines in Cannubi Boschis.

 

And finally, the 2013 harvest was Luciano's 50th harvest - he began in 1962 (he missed one while in military service). All of us here at the winery congratulate him on the occasion and wish for him 50 more!

 

As always, we thank you for your continued interest in our wines, and we hope to continue to fulfill your expectations of quality and excellence in the bottle.

 

With warmest regards, 

 

Luciano Sandrone

Barbara Sandrone

Luca Sandrone 

 

 

PS. For those of you that are receiving this the first time, we hope you enjoy our newsletter. We send it out seasonally, four times per year, full of information about the wines, the cantina and vineyards. If you no longer wish to receive future mailings, you may quickly and safely unsubscribe anytime by clicking the "SafeUnsubscribe" button at the end of this newsletter. Rest assured we will never share your personal information with anyone.

 

 

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Luca tractor VM 2013
Luca in Valmaggiore, Harvest 2013

2013 Autumn and Harvest
Lebanese Cedar on Gattera, 
Autumn colors

 

The 2013 autumn got off to an auspicious start with a 4-day rain that began around the first of September. Though the summer had never been extremely hot, the rain broke the late-August warmth and nights cooled significantly. Dolcetto harvest began around the middle of September under warm and dry conditions. By the end of the month we were working on the Barbera, which showed excellent maturity. Early October took us over to Valmaggiore, which gave us a very good crop of Nebbiolo with excellent acidity. Then back to the Barolo, where we harvested Baudana, Cannubi Boschis, Vignane, Villero and Merli. The last grapes came into the winery on October 23. 
Flora and Eda at VM
Eda and Flora cleaning bunches in Valmaggiore
 
As always, selection was strict: the fruit is given a double-selection. First, in the vineyard, each bunch is individually cleaned by hand. Each of our pickers cleans each bunch of any individual berries that are dried, shriveled, damaged, broken or otherwise imperfect (more information and step-by-step pictures here). What we put in the picking crates must be perfect! Luciano insists that starting with great primary material is the key to making a great wine. 
 
Once the fruit has been brought to the winery and unloaded at the crush pad, the sorting table allows us to get a second look at everything before it goes into the 
fermentation tank. Cristina is the master sorter; that's her at right under the bright 
lights mounted above the sorting table. The double selection allows us to make the best possible wine as consistently as possible. 
Cri on the sorting table
Cristina at the sorting table

This fall we were happy to have a good harvest after the difficulties in March and April ... we thought that 2013 would be down significantly in quantity after the spring conditions hampered early growth and damaged the young shoots and flowers, but we were pleasantly surprised how the vines bounced back and gave us near-normal production of excellent quality by the time harvest arrived. Given our ways of working in the cellar, we expect that the 2013 vintage will give us a slightly smaller production of very high quality. Exceptionally healthy and ripe fruit was picked in Cannubi Boschis, Baudana and Villero, and the picking finished on October 23rd with fruit from the micro-plantings of Nebbiolo in Druca, Rivassi, and behind the house of Luciano's and Luca's mother (these vines gave Luciano his first experimental material in the early 1970's). 
Luc and Cristian at VM
Cristian and Luca in Valmaggiore
 
Read on for more on the winemaking further in the newlsetter ...
 
Dawn at VM
Dawn at Valmaggiore, 
Harvest 2013
















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Recent Tastings: Older Vintages from Luciano's Personal Cellar 
BCB sp bottle-box

 

Once in  while, we open an older bottle to see how it is maturing and developing (but also to enjoy the result of our work!). This new section of the Newsletter is to share any recent tasting of older vintages with you.

2003 Barolo Cannubi Boschis 
Sibi et Paucis label. (Tasted by Luciano, Luca and Barbara, with others on the staff, November 2013). 
 
2003 has always been undervalued and underappreciated because of the extremely difficult conditions we experienced during the record heatwave that extended from bud break until well past the harvest. The heat just literally never let up from March to October. As a result, the fruit achieved sugar ripeness well before phenolic/tannic maturity, and many 2003 Baroli show astringent, underripe tannins and high alcohol. Many are also fading.
 
Here in the Sandrone Library Cantina we keep a few hundred bottles of each vintage to gauge development of each wine we have made as it evolves and ages. With 2003 hitting the decade mark, we were especially curious to see how this difficult vintage was maturing. 
 
We were very surprised to see how this bottle was developing - an eye-opening experience! Good fruit, mature, firm tannins and excellent balance, with secondary and tertiary character emerging. In a way, it shows how the experience and knowledge gained in the 1997 and 2000 vintages helped prepare us for this super-hot vintage. (When the 1997 vintage came along - the first of the "super-hot" vintages of the past 20 years - Barolisti had little experience of how to deal with the grapes' rapid maturation and freakishly high sugar levels.) By 2003, we knew, for example, to leave more vegetation on each plant to shade the fruit and balance the heat-induced vigor. The results after a decade are very satisfying.
 
Cantina Tasting Note (November 2013)
The 2003 Barolo Cannubi Boschis has a deep garnet-purple color with slight bricking at the edges. The nose of black and red fruits soars from the glass: raspberries, currants, blackberries, cherries. Hints of leather, bay leaves, loam and garrigue, with accents of vanilla and oak, finishing with balsamic notes. In the mouth, there is still tannic grip and presence, with balanced acidity and a smooth, mellow mouthfeel. The fruit is front and center, with more flavor development towards dried berries and red plums. There is a mineral note and the oak makes an appearance at the end of the palate; this wine above all shows grace and class with few sharp edges. While the vintage conditions preclude a seamlessly elegant wine, the balance and poise of this wine is remarkable, and augurs another decade of good drinking ahead of it (for perfectly stored bottles). 

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In The Cantina: Winemaking 
Luciano w tank
Luciano with a tank of Barbera
 
The process used for making all of our wines is generally similar: Luciano believes in quality above all else and the process he has refined with his brother Luca at his side over the years allows him to produce the best possible wine in varying vintages and from our various local grapes. 
 
As we stated earlier, the picking process involves a double selection of the fruit: once in the vineyard by the individual picker and then in the cantina on a sorting table during the crush and destem process.
 
The crush process is simple: the crates of fruit are unloaded and slowly tipped over onto the sorting table, a kind of conveyor belt. Slowly because Luciano does not want to break any berries too soon! On the sorting table, Cristina inspects the bunches as they slowly move past her, picking out any bad berries or bunches that have gotten past the pickers' attention (harvest is long and hot, and we are all human - sometimes we put the wrong bunch in the picking crate). During harvest, every one of the winery's employes spends time picking; we are augmented by a crew of 8-12 people, many of whom have worked for us for 10+ years, so they know how to pick the Sandrone way. 
Luciano with CO2
Luciano pumping CO2 through the just-crushed must
 
As the fruit leaves the sorting table under Cristina's sharp eyes, it drops into the destemmer/crusher. Here the fruit is spun off the stems - fruit drops down into the crusher while stems fall out the back of the machine. The crusher is set to break the grape berries, not "crush" them into a pulp. We just want to break the skins and expose the sugars to air and to the yeasts living on the skins. As the must (a slushy-mushy mix of pulp, liquid and grape skins & seeds) emerges from the crusher, it drops down into a pipe that takes it to the fermentation room via gravity, assisted by a soft pump.
 
In the fermentation room, the must runs though a heat exchanger that Luciano uses to gently warm the must to about 30-32�C. Though this may seem counter-intuitive (most producers around the world chill their must), there are two important reasons for this. First, Luciano insists that warming the must for a warm maceration before the fermentation begins helps the most delicate and complex aromas emerge. Second, a warm environment also helps the wild yeasts - which are present on the grape skins and come in from the vineyards - reproduce in great quantities, thus establishing an environment in which the fermentation can run to full dryness without problems. (We don't add commercial yeasts to our wines.) 
Rimontaggio Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo during a pump-over (rimontaggio)
  
To inhibit the immediate start of fermentation, Luciano bubbles CO2 through the must, driving out the oxygen, thus depriving the yeasts of an essential element of fermentation. However, this only inhibits the start of fermentation for about a day, just enough time for the maceration to extract the complex, subtle aromas and for the yeasts to reproduce like crazy. After 24-30 hours, enough oxygen has penetrated to the surface of the must and fermentation begins from the now-populous wild yeasts. Luciano knows only of one other winery in the world that warms the must before fermentation: Chateau de Beaucastel in France's Chateauneuf-du-Pape region.

 

Once fermentation begins, the temperature of the must is lowered to 23-24�C, and regular pump-overs are performed to keep the floating cap wet and the wine well-aerated. Maceration lasts from 5-8 days for Dolcetto to 12-16 for Barolo, with Luciano making single tanks of both stems-included and long-maceration Nebbiolo to add complexity to the Le Vigne assemblaggio. The wine is racked off the skins when Luciano and Luca determine that the fruit solids have given everything they can, and the wine is left to finish fermentation to full dryness in 30hl steel tanks at 22�C.  

Andrea w Pomace plug
Andrea with a pomace plug just out of the press. The wooden press basket is suspended from the winch above the plug.

 

The solids are pressed the old way - in a vertical hydraulic press. Luciano has always used these instead of the newer pneumatic presses. Once the free-run juice has flowed out via gravity, we crack open the tank door to let the solids drain out - a process that takes about 2 hours. At that point we can safely open the door and begin to shovel the pomace out and into the big wooden press baskets. Eventually someone has to climb inside to get the last bits of pomace and lees out - we waste nothing here! 

 

The first, gentle press is at about 1.2 bars and this wine is kept in a separate tank from the free-run juice. Press wine is always different - more tannic, darker, more astringent - and Luciano will determine later if these qualities add or detract from the final wine. Depending on the vintage, Luciano may add some, none or all of the first press wine into the final assembly of the wine.

Andrea - colmare
Andrea topping off a settling tank. The wine inside has just finished fermenting and the coarse sediment is settling out.

 

The second press is hard (2 bars) and this wine is always sold off in bulk anonymously. What emerges from the press basket is a dry plug of grape solids that we sell to the grappa producer Marolo in Alba (we do not make grappa, nor do we have a "Sandrone Grappa" - it all goes into Marolo's various grappa bottlings: Grappa di Dolcetto, Grappa di Barbera, Grappa di Nebbiolo and Grappa di Barolo).

 

Going back into the vinification room, the racked wine finishes fermenting to full dryness slowly. Then we rack a few more times to separate out the coarsest sediments, after which the wine is transferred into tonneaux in the aging cellars. Malolactic will start in the next few weeks as the wines warm up. More in the next newsletter!

 

 

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Ivan with crate
Ivan with the last crate of 2013 Nebbiolo - done for the year!
Meet the Staff!

 

A new feature for 2013 - every newsletter we will introduce some of the people who spend their working hours here at Sandrone. We hope you enjoy getting to know the people of the extended Sandrone family in a better and more personal way.
 
Ivan Kostev
A mainstay of the winery staff since 2000, Ivan hails from Bulgaria but has been living in Italy since 1996. Ivan helps will all aspects of viticulture and winemaking - from the winter pruning to the earliest spring fertilizations, to summer prunings, picking and harvest, vinification and bottling. He's an incredibly strong guy. Ivan does everything, and he does it with a smile and his trademark self-deprecating humor. 
Ivan in Villero
Ivan picking Nebbiolo 
in Villero with Simona

His work ethic and good humor are an important part of the Sandrone team's makeup, and he's always flashing a "thumbs-up" when you ask how he is doing. Here at the cantina, one often sees him at Luciano's side, assisting in whatever task is being performed that day. He works hard and he works clean, both of which are terrifically useful traits to have at this cantina! Ivan has family in Bulgaria and enjoys music and sport, especially volleyball and soccer in his spare time. Here in Italy, he is a "tifoso" of Inter Milan, but during international competitions such as the Olympics he always roots for his beloved Bulgarian soccer squad.

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New Releases in the Market 
Bottles dark background

 

These new wine releases were in the market worldwide in September:

  

 Dolcetto d'Alba 2012

 Barbera d'Alba 2011

 Barolo Cannubi Boschis 2009

 Barolo "Le Vigne" 2009

 

Also the three new Sibi e Paucis wines were released in September:

 

 Nebbiolo d'Alba "Valmaggiore" Sibi e Paucis 2007 

 Barolo Cannubi Boschis Sibi e Paucis 2005 

 Barolo Le Vigne Sibi e Paucis 2005 

 

More info on the Sibi e Paucis releases can be found here.

 

Technical data and tasting notes for all wines including historical vintages can be found by following the above links to our website. We will add professional reviews as they become available.

 

Links to your country's importer can be found here.

 

Of course, our most important and eagerly anticipated release are the two Barolo, and we think 2009 is a vintage to relish, one in which nature gave us wines to pleasure, delight and enrapture. While the wine press has made much of the warm growing season, with some journalists claiming that no greatness could emerge from the 2009 conditions, we remember that the vintage and its wines bear many similarities to 2007, which was perhaps one of the most lauded and drinkable vintages of recent memory. Let's just say that those of us working on the ground experienced something different than what might be described in the wine press. Like another undervalued but excellent vintage, we think the 2009s will be similar to the 1998s in development and ageability.

 

Our 2009s are wines to enjoy - the vintage is very different from the steely, unyielding 2008, 2006s or 1999s, but has charm, graciousness and displays a generosity of spirit that is a rare and unique quality in Barolo. We suspect that some vintners were overly aggressive in their summer green harvests which left a distinct lack of freshness when they were thus forced to pick earlier, which led to some of the negative impressions of the vintage. Luca managed the vineyards for a complete vegetative cycle with a long "hang time" which led to perfect, balanced ripeness. Thus we picked well into October - while many of our neighbors were done picking by the last week of September.

 

The 2009 Sandrone Barolos are wines of charm and grace. While they do not have the puckering tannins of the more classically-styled 2008 and 2006s, these are wines that will be enjoyable earlier in their life - probably ready to enjoy at about 5-6 years after the vintage, and should age well for 15+ years afterwards. 

 

At Sandrone, we always make a wine that reflects the conditions of the growing season, and 2009 was definitely warmer in comparison to 2008. 2009 Barolos are wines of generous, forward fruit, with exceptional perfume and aromatic complexity. However, the 2009s also show a bit better freshness and minerality than the highly-regarded 2007s, which we see as a positive development. These are perfect wines to enjoy early in their life, not ones that require long years of patience. 

  

The Valmaggiore area is always somewhat warmer than in the Barolo, as is normal, and the 2011 still shows the opulent fruit from the warm end to the growing season. The fruit had ripened perfectly by the last week of September and we picked parcel-by-parcel under ideal conditions. The first parcels were obviously from the warmest parts: the center and west-facing parts of the bowl, then the east side of the bowl, followed by the edges. The last fruit came in on the 8th of October. 

Luciano in VM 2011
Luciano picking in Valmaggiore, October 2011

 

Luciano says that 2011 is perhaps the best Valmaggiore that he has yet made - the combination of bright, small red fruits and the perfectly balanced and fresh acidity reflect the terroir of the Valmaggiore in a completely transparent way. Indeed, the 2011 vintage gave us a little less color than we are used to but the balance of the aromatics and flavors is simply impeccable. The good acidity will keep this wine drinking well for somewhat longer than usual; Luciano thinks this has 10-15 years of good drinking ahead of it. He considers the wine's transparency and honesty in reflecting the terroir and potential of this site to be exceptional. And it is delicious!!!

 

Our 2011 Barbera is a rich, structured wine, full of deep fruit, with smooth, bracing tannins from the new wood and the characteristic bright acidity of this vine species. Barbera loves heat and sun, and typically does best in hot vintages such as 2003, 2009 and 2011. The fruit on the vine ripened and concentrated beautifully, resulting in a wine that has 4-8 years further ageing potential. The wine spent 12 months in 40% new oak that helped soften the characteristic fresh acid. Fans of structured Barbera (as opposed to the "fruit-bomb" style, which has never been our style) will love this wine and it will go especially well with rich winter dishes such as roasts, polenta and risotto.

 

The  2012 Dolcetto d'Alba is simply delightful, if that's not too presumptuous to say. The growing season is reflected perfectly in a generous, open wine of a simple but embracing personality, all fruit and perfume up front, but with good, fresh acidity and a vibrant, racy finish. 

 

VM bottle New Release Spotlight: 

 

2011 Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d'Alba

 

The warm 2011 vintage gave us a smooth, delicious and approachable Valmaggiore that delights with its smooth mouthfeel, velvety tannins and bright strawberry and red cherry fruit. Valmaggiore remains or largest single piece of vineyard land (for specifics click here) and the distinct south-facing amphitheater is one of the finest single terroirs in the Roero. We picked the 2011 fruit in two long days as the distinct parts of the vineyard ripened all at the same time; often we take 3-5 days but the 2011 fruit was ready to go at once! 

VM Harvest
Harvest in Valmaggiore

Cantina Tasting Notes:

November 2013: 10 months in the bottle have made a big developmental difference for the 2011 Valmaggiore. The aromas of strawberries, red cherries and floral notes (predominantly roses) has integrated and evened out. In the mouth, the texture of the tannins has smoothed considerably, with long, silky tannins (courtesy of the fruit, as we use only well-seasoned barrels for this wine, so minimal oak tannins) framing the bright cherry and berry fruit with impeccable balance. The finish is dry and long with fruit, spice and licorice notes. Drink 2014-2028

 

January 2013Garnet color. Beautiful red cherry and roses, lovely floral elements with hibiscus flowers, followed by anise and spice notes. Medium-bodied on the palate, with balance and bright acidity. Surprisingly good ripe tannins, which come across as "velvety," but with a bit of "nap" - they seem to have a different texture at different points in the mouth. The wine shows very ripe fruit and finishes dry and precise in the mouth.  

 

From the Critics:
 
vinous logo
Vinous (Antonio Galloni): 90 points. 

"Sandrone's 2011 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore graces the palate with savory herbs, dried flowers, red cherries, licorice and mint. Already a touch forward, the 2011 looks to be best suited for drinking over the next handful of years, even if Nebbiolo can be quite deceptively in its ability to hold over long periods of time. Nothing in particular stands out, just the wine's lovely sense of balance and poise. Drinking window: 2017 - 2024." (June 2013, vinous.com) 

 

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Sibi et Paucis Gold SeP

 

Along with the new current releases, we will release the new group of "Sibi et Paucis" wines in September 2013:

 

2007 Valmaggiore,

2005 Barolo Le Vigne  

2005 Barolo Cannubi Boschis.

 

The Sibi et Paucis program is our library re-release program (not a riserva wine) and more information 

can be found here on our website.

 

Both the regular and Sibi et Paucis bottlings for the 3 Nebbioli: 2007 and 2011 Valmaggiore; 2005 and 2009 Le Vigne; 
2005 and 2009 Cannubi Boschis.

Each newsletter has a spotlight on one of the different Sibi et Paucis releases.

 

Only 1500 bottles of each of the three Nebbiolo-based wines are kept back for the Sibi et Paucis program, and most are allocated to restaurant wine lists. If you see the metallic stamp on a bottle, you know that the wine spent 4 years in Luciano's personal library cellar.

 

Sibi et Paucis Spotlight on  

2005 Barolo Le Vigne

BLV sp bottle  

2005 was a curious, variable growing season that gave us wines of elegance and harmony, with dry, chalky ripe tannins and excellent freshness and presence. The winter and spring were dry and temperatures were uneven, leading to an irregular bud break. The vintage continued with good weather in June and July until torrential rains hit in mid-August - which relieved the hydric stress but made vineyard activities stressful as we worked double shifts to prevent disease outbreaks. Luckily gentle winds helped keep the fruit dry and damage was minimal. We were able to harvest much of the fruit before the rains arrived the first week of October and the resulting wine is one that honestly reflects the challenging growing season in a very positive way. As usual, our extremely strict selection process resulted only in ripe, heathy berries arriving at the cantina. We were very happy with the initial results and the wine has developed positively in bottle.

  

Cantina Tasting Note:

A tight nose of dark fruits and black cherries with graphite and cedar box, hints of vanilla and dark chocolate emerges from the glass. On the palate, vanilla, chocolate and cassis combine with layers of fruit, acid and ripe tannins. It has a full-bodied mouthfeel and this wine will need 3-4 more years to reach its maturity plateau. Though the velvety tannins are still quite tight, this is a ripe and balanced Le Vigne. It has a good finish, with very fine and linear tannins, good length and balance. (Jan. 2013)

  

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From the Critics:


WA Logo Wine Advocate: 94 points. #182, Apr 2009  

 

The 2005 Barolo Le Vigne opens with fresh, high-toned aromas that meld into a core of perfumed red fruits. There is notable vibrancy to the fruit, and although the 2005 is a relatively small-scaled vintage for this wine, the balance is exceptional. The Le Vigne has more than enough fruit to follow through all the way to the close, where notes of raspberry jam offer a final burst of intensity. Le Vigne is made from a number of parcels in Vignane (Barolo), Conterni and Ceretta (Monforte) and Merli (Novello). In 2005 the harvest took place in the first two weeks of October. The wines were vinified separately, then racked into 500-liter barrels. The final blend was assembled in the summer of 2006. Every year I taste through the various parcels separately and every year I am amazed by the way the final blend transcends the quality of the individual wines. Simply put, Le Vigne is a gem of a wine from Luciano Sandrone. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021.


IWC Logo IWC/Stephen Tanzer:
92 points. Nov/Dec 09
  

 

Very good deep red-ruby. Highly nuanced nose combines raspberry, dried flowers, camphor, tobacco and dried spices. Lush on entry, then medicinal and rather closed in the middle, with a serious tannic spine keeping the flavors under wraps today. This makes the serious 2006 seem silky and sweet by comparison, and yet even here the wine's flavors spread out to saturate the palate.  


IWC/ Ian d'Agata: 94 Points, Feb 11, 2011  

 

Full, deep red-ruby.  Perfumed, nuanced nose offers pretty sour red cherry, raspberry and violet notes complicated by an intense spiciness that is textbook nebbiolo.  Dense and sweet, but with lovely vinosity giving shape to the penetrating flavors of dark cherry, dried flowers and mint.  Finishes bright and very long, with serious but smooth tannins and wonderful acid balance.  A spicy, pure nebbiolo that shows just how good the best 2005 Barolos can be.  Sandrone harvested the grapes for Le Vigne between October 1 and 15, which means that at least some of the grapes were picked after the October rains that spelled trouble for so many other producers in the area, but he has always maintained that his attentive, painstaking vineyard work allowed him to pick fully ripe grapes while avoiding rot.

 

WS Logo Vertical Wine Spectator: 92 points. Issue Jul 31, 2009

 

Sweet blackberry and cherry aromas, with hints of flowers. Full-bodied, with a solid core of blackberry fruit and a long finish. Tight and chewy. Layered and pretty. Racy and fruity. Best after 2011.

 

AIS Logo AIS: 4 Grappoli. Ottobre 09


Poco sotto il celebre fratello maggiore, ma stesso stile e stesse fragranze: mora, cacao, praline di cioccolato, pesca,lampone, mentolo. Ottima freschezza e precisione che ritroviamo anche al gusto, superbo in eleganza e finezza con volume e tannini ben amalgamati. Malolattica e maturazione in tonneau. 

 

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Barolo resting in the Cantina 
Barrel long shot
Tonneaux in the Ageing Cellar.
Our Barolo spends at least 24 months in wooden casks and per DOCG laws cannot be released until the beginning of the 4th calendar year after the vintage. So there is a good bit of wine down in our cellar! We do not use barriques here at Sandrone, instead Luciano prefers to use tonneaux (500 liter casks of French oak). Also, the Barbera and Valmaggiore spend 12-14 months in wood. We use about 20-25% new wood on the Barolo, 30-50% new wood on the Barbera and only used, neutral casks for the Valmaggiore.

The 2012 wines (other than Dolcetto) have been in tonneaux for almost a year and are developing nicely. The 2011 Barolo are still resting comfortably in their tonneaux and will be assembled and bottled in January-February of 2014. The 2010 Barolo were bottled in January 2013 and will be ready for release in September 2014.  The 2009 Barolo were just released on the first of September 2013. While it is impossible to talk about what the wines still in wood will specifically taste like when they are released in the future, we would like to tell you a bit about how the Barolo are developing.

Tonneaux
2010: A cool late August and early September gave us a long growing season and the resulting wines should be ones of depth and structure. This vintage bears some similarity to 2006, where power, ripe fruit and potential longevity are combined to an incredible degree, but perhaps 2010 is a bit more austere and will have a longer life ... These are wines to cellar! The wines were in cask for 24 months and were assembled and bottled in January and February of 2013.

2011: The Barolo have been in cask for almost 2 years and are ready for tastings and assembly in December and January. The warm Cannubi site gave us grapes that embody the best attributes of the season: amazing perfume of strawberries, cherries and fresh roses with beautiful ripe fruit in the mouth. A big surprise is Le Vigne, which has changed somewhat due to a switch of the component vineyards: we gave up our long-term leases on Conterni and Cerretta in the commune of Monforte, and added the Villero vineyard from Castiglione, which adds mid-palate richness and structure, and the Upper Baudana planting from Serralunga, which adds great tannic structure to the wine. We have very high expectations for this wine, and the addition of the Serralunga fruit should make it even more age-worthy. The wine shows deep, penetrating aromas of black fruits and licorice and has incredible presence in the mouth. This wine truly embodies the old Barolo adage of the "iron fist in the velvet glove."

2012: A long, warm growing season of exceptional quality was the characteristic of this year. The wines show generous and forward fruit but with more structure and tannin than some of the warm recent vintages, thus the 2012s require some patience to reach their peak. Cannubi Boschis, lower in the valley and from a warmer site, gives us a wine of opulence and layers of fruit; Le Vigne, from higher-altitude plots, shows more tightness and structure. In 2012, Luciano made 2 experiments with fruit from various Le Vigne vineyards: a tank vinified with the stems from a plot of exceptionally ripe Nebbiolo and a tank macerated for 4 weeks on the skins. Both of these tanks will be incorporated into the Le Vigne bottling. Luciano's goal with these experiments - as always - is to improve quality, drinkability and more fully express the typicity of Nebbiolo grown in the Barolo. Barbera in 2012 is bright, fruity and very quaffable; Valmaggiore 2012 is a balanced, expressive wine of delicate and elegant aromatics and structure.
 
2013: A difficult, wet and cold spring gave way to sunny and warm conditions a week before flowering, and the ensuing summer was warm but not particularly hot, except for an 8-day heatwave in late July/early August. August was less hot than usual and a 3-day rain the first week of September drastically cooled the area. Uneven weather patterns forced us to carefully pick parcel-by-parcel as grapes reached optimum ripeness. The Dolcetto suffered a bit from the early cool weather but the health of the fruit at picking time was excellent, though alcohol levels will be a half-point lower than usual. Late September and early October gave us warm, sunny days and good picking conditions, and we were able to harvest near-normal quantities of exceptionally balanced, mature Nebbiolo and Barbera. It is too early to talk about the qualities of the individual wines but Luciano and Luca are very happy with the quality. We will be able to talk more about the wines once malolactic fermentation has finished by late January.

We will keep you updated on the further development of these wines as well as the new 2013 wines.

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Newsletter and Press Releases: Copyright 2013 Sandrone Luciano Azienda Agricola, Via Pugnane 4, 12060 Barolo (CN) Italy

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