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Tel: +39.0173.560.023
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eMail:
info@sandroneluciano.com
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For more information on tasting events around the world, please go to our "Events" page.
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June 22, 2041
Antwerp, Belgium
"Europa's Best"
Wine and Food Festival
abroad the SS Europa
port of call Antwerp
Ahoy Mates! Hapag-Lloyd Cruises hosts their 10th annual "Europa's Best" Festival of Food and Wine on the SS Europa, sailing from Lisbon to Hamburg from June 10 to 24. At port of call Antwerp on the 22 June, the festival will be on the Lido Deck with Luciano Sandrone Wines part of the celebrations. Luciano will be personally on hand to pour the wines and talk about his winemaking history and philosophy accompanied by our European Sales Manager, Mrs. Anna Rech. We look forward to seeing you there.
For information and bookings contact H-L cruises directly (the list of chefs and wineries can able found on this page). Contact information can be found on our Events page.
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July 11 2014
Steinbach am Attersee
near Salzburg, Austria
Wein Art
11. Juli 2014
Forstamt 12,
Steinbach am Attersee
Anna Rech will be on hand to pour our 2010 Barolo and 2012 Valmaggiore bottlings at this event hosted by one of our Austrian importers. For information and tickets, please contact WeinArt directly. more information on their website; please click here.
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Recent Press
(USA)
Nov/Dec 2013
93 points
"Deep, bright red. Enticing aromas of blackberry, violet, licorice and bitter chocolate. Then surprisingly round and open-knit in the mouth, offering dense, sweet flavors of red and purple berries and flowers. Distinctly silkier in the early going than the C annubi Boschis, this finishes sweet and long, with pliant tannins. A superb showing. This was the first vintage of Le Vigne to include some Baudana fruit but Sandrone lost his source for Conterni and Ceretta di Monforte."
94 (+?) points
"Good deep red. Perfumed aromas of raspberry, licorice, dried flowers and herbs. Silky on entry, then rich but tight in the middle, with a distinctly darker fruit character than the Cannubi Boschis. Very complex, energetic wine with fresh acidity, serious tannins and a sappy saline quality on the very long finish. A beauty in the making."
92(+?) points
"Good deep, bright red. Aromas and flavors of black cherry, licorice and
menthol are complicated by balsamic and aromatic herb nuances. Then tighter and earthier on the palate than the 2010, showing excellent density and firm but essentially suave tannins. Finishes with excellent persistence. Here's a 2009 Barolo that demands cellaring."
95+ points
"Good deep, bright medium red. Highly complex, very expressive scents of black raspberry, violet, smoke, licorice and espresso, plus an exhilarating whiff of blood orange. Then dense but bound-up on the palate, showing a medicinal licorice quality and modest flesh today, with the wine's powerful spine dominating. But the explosive back-end fruit and outstanding lift and rising length suggest that this brilliantly delineated wine will be a long-lived classic."
91 points
"Bright medium red. Enticing
perfume of raspberry, minerals, tobacco, dried flowers and red licorice are accented by a peppery nuance. C ompellingly sweet and fine-grained, with pungent red raspberry and mineral flavors nicely framed by bright acidity. Highly aromatic Nebbiolo from light, sandy soil in Roero. Finishes with dusty tannins and lovely lingering perfume. Has the balance to make delicious early drinking."
91 points
"Good bright red-ruby. Sexy aromas of violet, licorice, spices, mocha and espresso. Silky, rich and dry, with serious weight and density for Barbera. Combines strong acidity and light tannins. Made with very healthy grapes from a warm vintage, according to Sandrone."
88 (+?) points
" Good bright, full red. Crushed black cherry, licorice, menthol and
medicinal herbs on the nose. Juicy, herbal and tight, with black cherry and licorice flavors showing a dry edge. I'd hold this until next spring or summer. Sandrone told me that the Dolcetto ripened unevenly in 2012 and that he discarded the dry and overripe berries."
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Vinous
(USA)
Antonio Galloni reviewed
the 2010 Barolo releases
(posted to Vinous on Jan 8, 2014)
2010 Barolo Cannubi Boschis: 97+ points
"Tar, smoke, licorice, incense, blood orange and sweet spices are some of the many notes that emerge from the 2010 Barolo Cannubi Boschis. Today the 2010 is firing on all cylinders. The flavors are broad, rich and ample, with fabulous delineation, energy and class. A creamy, resonant finish laced with exotic floral and citrus notes only adds intrigue in this drop-dead gorgeous Barolo." Drink 2020-2035
2010 Barolo Le Vinge:
100 points
"Sandrone's 2010 Barolo Le Vigne is one of the wines of the vintage, hands down. Rich, layered and utterly impeccable, the Le Vigne boasts stunning depth and richness. This is the second year in which Le Vigne includes fruit from Baudana which gives the wine a sense of volume and pure breadth it has never had before. Dried rose petal, tar, mint, wild flowers and cinnamon flow through to the multi-dimensional finish. The 2010 is a blend of fruit from Vignane and Merli, two historic sites for Le Vigne, while Cerretta and Conterni have been replaced by Baudana, a site in Serralunga that confers a level of depth, darkness and masculinity that has not been present in the past. Villero is the next vineyard that will appear in Le Vigne, starting in 2011. In the meantime, readers will not want to miss the 2010 Barolo Le Vigne, an epic achievement from the Sandrone family." Drink 2018-2035
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(Austria)
97 points 95 points --- (Italy) ---
Wine Advocate rates
2009 Barolo
(USA)
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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(USA)
Reviews 2009 Barolo
Reviewer: Kerin O'Keefe:
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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La Revue de Vin de France
(FR)
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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Greetings!
After a cool but not impossibly difficult spring (compared to last year), the warm weather has finally arrived and the vines are growing rapidly. We are happy to report that flowering was even and the first phase of the growing season has been navigated successfully. The Giro was a huge success, with the Stage 12 Individual Time Trial zooming by the winery's front door on May 22. More below, with pics on the website and our facebook page. Thanks to all who attended and to all who helped make this an incredibly special and successful event ( commemorative Giro bottles to benefit the Massimo Accornero foundation are available until the 18 June, please contact the winery to reserve). We so enjoyed opening our cantina doors for everyone who came and hope that the Giro passes by in future years as well!  | |
Giro d'Italia rider passing in front of the Sandrone Winery
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This month, (Today!) on the 18th of June is the birthday of Mariuccia, Luciano's wife and Barbara's mother, as well as grandmother to Alessia and Stefano. All of us here at the winery would like to wish her all a Happy Happy Birthday and much joy. Her smiling presence here at the winery is part of what makes the place feel like home, and she always has a kind word for everyone, every day.  | |
Happy Birthday Mariuccia!
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The "Wine Fair Season" is over and things are beginning to come back to normal after ProWein, VinItaly, Nebbiolo Prima, Asta del Barolo and most recently, the official introduction of the Barolo 2010 Vintage at the Enoteca in the Castle of Barolo on the first of June. The excitement about the vintage is palpable and we are very thankful for everyone's interest. More on the current wines and new release information below. Also, we would like to extend a big "thank you" and buona fortuna to Anna Genta, who is moving on after a year in the Sandrone offices. Anna's smiling face and easygoing demeanor were always welcome here at the Sandrone Winery, and we wish her the best as she pursues new opportunities. Lastly, we are overjoyed to announce the arrival of the latest addition to the  | |
Olia, Camilla (b 25.04.2014),
and proud papa Andrea!
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larger Sandrone Winery family: Camilla Alessandria, born on the 25th April 2014 to Luciano's Winery Assistant Andrea Alessandria and his wife Olia. We are super-happy for the two of them and for little Camilla! As always, we thank you, our collectors and consumers, 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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2014 Spring in the Cantina and Vineyards
The end of winter arrived with some warm weather around the end of March as bud break was normal during the first 10 days of winter. The big threat this year was not the excessive rain and wet of last year - leading to big outbreaks of peronospera in 2013 - but a more mundane threat: giant nocturnal bud-chomping caterpillars, called "gate" (pronounced "gah-TEH") in the local dialect. (Seen the new Godzilla movie yet? It premiered here in April!) (Laughing!). Though there are various plant-based pesticides we could have used, none were acceptable to Luciano, Luca and Barbara as all cause massive collateral damage to beneficial insects, especially bees. Instead, we went out in the vineyards at night when these "bestie" (beasts) came out, put headlamps on, and went hunting, sometimes until 1 or 2 in the morning. When you find one, pick it carefully off the vine, drop to the ground, and squish it underfoot. It doesn't get more "artisanal" than that!
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Labeling 2011 Valmaggiore
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During periods of inclement weather, we spent time preparing orders for shipment - the last of the 2009 Barolo and 2011 Valmaggiore going out - and maintaing and cleaning the equipment for use in the vines and cantina.
By the 10th of April the caterpillars had pupated and were no longer a threat. We did our usual hand-work in the vineyards, spraying to stay on top of the peronospera (we have had abundant though not excessive rain and humidity this spring) and managing the emerging shoots and vine growth. Luca spent lots of time with his vineyard crew thinning double shoots, training the new shoots directly upward (so each plant gets even sun) and trimming the grass between the rows. We don't use weed-killers to control the cover grasses but instead a combination of tractor and hand-cutting.
The spring developed fortuitously after the mild winter. We had a burst of warmth in March that got the sap flowing. We had great fortune this spring that April, which was generally wet, was also cool - this inhibits the spread of peronospera (downy mildew), which was rampant in 2013. Luciano and Luca took a hands-off approach and decided to let the cool air do naturally what sulfur does in warm temperatures: control the mildew. We were ever vigilant for increasing temperatures (above about 10-11C the mildew can grow quickly) but the continued cool weather kept the plants healthy. As of the end of May, we had done only 2 sets of treatments - half of the usual! Flowering was under cool dry conditions in May and only this week has real warmth come, so we took up our usual treatments to combat diseases.
So far, so good!
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Meet the Staff!
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Giulia Gastaldi
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We'd like to welcome the newest addition to the Sandrone staff: Giulia Gastaldi. She earned a doctorate in Business and Management at University, and comes to us after working with a larger beverage company, where she gained deep experience with customer relations, sales, purchasing and administration. She also worked with the Salone del Gusto, the bi-annual wine and food celebration founded by Slow Food. Giulia will be working directly alongside Barbara and Anna Rech (our European Export Market Manager) and will be responsible for the domestic Italian Market. She will be part of the team that deals with our collectors and consumers, visitors and press, and will also work in the winery administration and business operations (she worked as a company comtroller previously). She is fluent in Italian and English; chances are she will be among the first voices you hear when you call the winery! Giulia lives in Pocapaglia and is a Piedmont native (from Carmagnola), and enjoys open-air activities, such as gardening, biking and walking, in her spare time.
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| Recent Tastings: Older Vintages from Luciano's Personal Cellar
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 section of the Newsletter is to share any recent tasting of older vintages with you.
In May we took the opportunity to check in with a wine from the exceptional 1996 vintage.
(Tasted by Luciano, Luca and Barbara, with others on the staff, May 2014)
Cantina Tasting Note:
(May 2014): Garnet color, just beginning to show some brick at the edges. This has a balanced, delicate nose of dried red and black fruits, with leather, mineral and floral aspects. Though delicate, it is persistent and strong. In the mouth, the acids so characteristic of the 1996 vintage are finally beginning to recede and the fruit is shining through (even a year ago this still showed the powerful, fresh acidity of the 1996 vintage front and center). The acidity and ripe, evolved tannins give this a mid weight, balanced feel in the mouth, with well-delineated dried fruits and secondary and tertiary flavors of dried wood, leather, dried thyme and spice, violets, mushrooms and tar. Drink now-2023.
The Critics:
Antonio Galloni in the Wine Advocate, In the Cellar, April 2007
"The 1996, one of the estate's best, takes things to another level. It shows an outrageous, well-delineated nose of fresh roses, minerals and menthol followed waves of dark fruit and licorice flavors that are just beginning to show the signs of early maturity, with exceptional freshness, length, and harmony. This opens beautifully in the glass, taking on an almost Burgundian elegance. A wine to marvel over. It is hard to resist this now, but it will be even better in another 3-5 years, and age gracefully for another decade, and probably more. 96+ points/drink after 2008."
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The Giro!
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Riders from our US importer with Ernesto Colnago (light blue sweater), Luciano, Barbara and Luciano's grandchildren.
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Michael Quinttus arriving at the winery, the morning of the Giro after riding the route.
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MANY THANKS to all who attended, participated and enjoyed the big celebration on 22 May here at the cantina; over 250 people braved the weather and enjoyed a front-row experience of the Giro. Special Thanks to Mr. Ernesto Colnago for attending and who introduced his new Italia C60 Bicycle and everyone at Cicli Mattio for your presence and support, as well as the organizational and logistics expertise. Their bike tour ended at the Sandrone winery on the Giro day and was a smashing success! We have posted pictures of the day to our website gallery
and at the end of this email for your perusal.
A few raindrops did not scare anyone off: we had visitors from across Europe, from the Americas and as far away as Asia. Our US importer, Mr. Michael Quinttus, was on hand to celebrate the event - he was a professional bike racer before joining the wine trade - and brought some of his best collaborators from the US market with him. Luca Sandrone led this group on a ride of the stage route (before the pro riders, natch!) and arrived at the winery in fine form at the same time as Mr Colnago.
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Francesc Parramon with his family
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Mr. Francesc Parramon, one of our cork suppliers, made the special commemorative corks that we used for guest passes to the event (many pics on our website and a selection on the facebook page). He brought his beautiful family from Girona, Spain to celebrate the day with us. Thank you Francesc!
We are also happy to tell you that the event raised significant funds for the Massimo Accornero Foundation through the sale of special commemorative bottles and magnums  | |
Luciano with Ermanno Accornero
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of 2009 Le Vigne Barolo, bottles of 2010 Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d'Alba and magnums of 2011 Valmaggiore. Our good friend Ermanno Accornero (Massimo's brother) was on hand to talk about the foundation that his family founded in honor of his late brother ... and a huge THANK YOU to everyone who purchased bottles; 100% of the proceeds went to the foundation. If you are still interested in purchasing these bottles with commemorative Giro 2014 back labels, please contact the winery ASAP as the commemorative labels are almost finished and will no longer be made. Each special back label features the Giro logo and the date, and the Barolo bottles are signed by Luciano, Luca, Barbara and Ernesto Colnago.
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Cristina, Dorina, Flora in Giro Pink!
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Also a huge thanks to the entire staff of the Sandrone winery, who did an amazing job in making this a seamless top-notch event. All of us in the Sandrone family are so appreciate of your hard work and tireless efforts to make the day as special as it was: Thanks to Andrea, Rosella, Cristian, Cristina, Simona, Flora, Marian, Dorina, and all the various family members who volunteered to help. We truly appreciate you!
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Current and Upcoming Releases
in the Market
The current wine releases have been in the market worldwide since September 2013:
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 last 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.
The 2010 Barolo Le Vinge and 2010 Barolo Cannubi Boschis will be released on September 1, 2014, along with the 2012 Barbera d'Alba and 2012 Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d'Alba, as well as the 2013 Dolcetto d'Alba. Check with your country's importer(s) for specific arrival times and ordering/purchase information for their retail partners.
Links to your country's importer 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.
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. 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.
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.
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Luciano during Valmaggiore
harvest 2011: an "exceptional vintage" for this personal favorite of Luciano's
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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.
 Current Release Spotlight:
2009 Barolo Cannubi Boschis
The warm but not hot 2009 vintage gave us a ripe, expressive Cannubi Boschis Barolo that is already soaring from the glass. The vintage was climactically similar to 2007, but the preceding winter gave us sufficient snow and rain tat the vines never went into hydric stress during the warm part of the summer as they did in 2007. This wine shows great freshness and ripe tannins to balance out the vibrant, expressive fruit.
Cantina Tasting Notes:
May 2014: Red cherries, raspberries, tea leaves and spices are framed by subtle notes of oak and licorice. In the mouth, the precise and layered flavors of red and black fruits - predominantly berries of various types - are balanced out by the sense of structure imparted by the ripe tannins and bright acidity. The mid palate remains rich with notes of sottobosco and licorice, and the finish is dry and focused, with the tannins lingering with the fruit for 25-30 seconds. Drink 2016-2029.
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Sibi et Paucis 
Along with new current releases, we released 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.
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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.
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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 can be assured that the wine spent 4 years in Luciano's personal library cellar - perfect provenance!
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Barolo resting in the Cantina
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Tonneaux in the Ageing Cellar.
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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 Baroli have been in tonneaux for 16 months and are developing nicely. The 2012 Barbera and Nebbiolo Valmaggiore were bottled in January and will be released in September of 2014. The 2011 Barolo were 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. 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.
 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. The early press on 2010 Barolo is impressive and we were especially honored to have earned high marks from Antonio Galloni (see " Recent Press" section in the newsletter for his notes on the vintage and our wines). 2010 was also the first vintage where we included a part of the upper Baudana vineyard fruit (in the commune of Serralunga) in the Barolo Le Vigne bottling, and the result is a darker and more structured wine.
2011: The Barolo were in cask for 2 years and were assembled in December 2013 and bottled in January 2014. 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 further fruit from the Upper Baudana planting from Serralunga, which adds great tannic structure to the wine (a portion of the Baudana fruit was also used in the 2010 Le Vigne). We have very high expectations for this wine, and the further 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, even 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. As the wines develop, we see the character of a more classic vintage emerging, showing good acidity and structure. Cannubi Boschis, lower in the valley and from a warmer site, gives us a fruit-driven wine; 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.
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Ripe, healthy Nebbiolo in Valmaggiore, September 2013
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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 specific taste profiles of the new individual wines but Luciano and Luca are very happy with the overall high quality. Malolactic fermentation finished the first week of February and the wines will continue to develop during their time in tonneaux, except for the Dolcetto, which is always aged in steel, and is being prepared for bottling as this newsletter is being written.
We will keep you updated on the further development of these wines.
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More Giro Pictures!
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Luciano and Ernesto Colnago at Lunch
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Viva il Giro! The Front of the Cantina on Race Day
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Wristbands with commemorative Cork
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Nonna Rosina (Luciano's Mother) with her granddaughter Barbara and great-grandchildren Alessia, Giacomo and Stefano
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Stage winner Rigoberto Uran Uran zooming by the winery
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Barbara and daughter Alessia during the race
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Giro Rider zooming by the lunch table; it was rainy!
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Roberta and Luca
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Luca and Alessandro Drago during the race, Giro rider zooming by.
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Legal & Copyright: The Fine Print!
Newsletter, Announcements, Flash News and Press Releases: Copyright 2014 Sandrone Luciano Azienda Agricola, Via Pugnane 4, 12060 Barolo (CN) Italy
Text: Copyright 2014 VintageSpec, Inc. Used by permission. Reproduction of any part of this newsletter without prior written consent of Sandrone Luciano Barolo and any other copyright holder is prohibited. Photos: "Cannubi panorama landscape" header, "5 bottles" and individual bottle photos: Copyright Davide Dutto. Any and All other Photographs in text: Copyright 2005-2014 VintageSpec Inc. Used by permission. Reproductions of text and images such as in the "Recent Press," "Upcoming Events" and other sections of this newsletter come from various named and credited publications, events and critics, and are made under "Fair Use" provisions of Copyright law. |
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