It is hardly news that Sandrone’s Dolcetto is one of the region's finest, most complex and seductive examples. The benchmark quality of this wine—its purity, silky texture, fine tannins and balance—can only come from perfectly ripe fruit, and from a cadre of top vineyards. In this case, they are: Castelletto and Cascina Pe Mol in Monforte d’Alba, Rocche di San Nicola and Ravera in Novello, and then Rivassi and Crosia in the commune of Barolo. Vine age is another key to the quality, averaging over 50 years. Typically, 11 different parcels contribute to the blend, and any fruit or wine that does not make the grade is sold off. Each parcel was vinified separately before blending, and the wines aged in tank. In short, this is about as close as Dolcetto comes to Nebbiolo-level depth and class.  

Sandrone’s layered, polished Barbera is drawn from four excellent sites: Cascina Pe Mol, (Monforte d’Alba), Ravera and Rocche di San Nicola (in Novello), and Albarella (in Barolo). At between 350 and 450 metres, these are some of the region's highest, most exposed vineyards, bringing superb freshness and vibrancy to this wine. To balance Barbera’s notable acidity, Sandrone matured the wine in 500-litre tonneaux (40% of which were new). The Estate had special, untoasted barrels made in Burgundy for this cuvée, to ensure the wood impact was as discreet as possible. When the wine is young, some wood shows through on the nose, but it is seriously classy oak. With age, the integration is seamless. As always, there is great class on offer here.

Valmaggiore is a magical, three-hectare, amphitheatre-shaped vineyard in the Roero area of Piemonte. Now that Roero is rising in prominence, we can truly recognise what a pioneer Luciano Sandrone was when he established Valmaggiore some 30 years ago. Nobody was talking about Roero at the time, but Sandrone recognised its potential, having worked with Roero parcels during his time as cellarmaster of Marchesi di Barolo. The risks were enormous; establishing an extremely steep vineyard (50% gradient in places) with such sandy soils (quick to dry out and erode) was always going to be a huge challenge, with no guarantee of quality. The land needed to be terraced and replanted, requiring major investment. And all this in a place outside the Barolo region that no one believed capable of greatness! Luciano Sandrone begged to differ. 

The site is farmed meticulously and organically, and strict sorting occurs each year to reach the level of purity and intensity we see in the glass. 

Fermentation took place in tank, with malolactic fermentation and maturation in old French demi-muid (with 9-12 months aging). Over the years, this wine has developed a passionate following in Australia and deserves every plaudit. It is a unique Nebbiolo of tremendous perfume, fine texture and finesse, with an elegance and prettiness quite distinct from the denser, darker, more structured styles produced in the clay-rich soils of Barolo and Barbaresco. It’s about as close as Piemonte gets to Burgundy and is a wonderful drink young and old. The 2023 is superb. 

A blend of several small parcels of vines from several communes, Le Vigne is Sandrone’s ode to the classic Barolo-wide blend that was once the norm. All the sites that contribute to Le Vigne are markedly different from each other in terms of altitude, soil and exposure, and together provide a broad overview of Barolo in a given year. Twenty-twenty-one was the second year to include Nebbiolo from Sandrone’s new holding in Le Coste di Monforte. Sandrone has been farming this Monforte d’Alba site since 2000. From this vintage, Le Vigne includes fruit from five communes: Barolo, Serralunga d’Alba, Novello, Castiglione Falletto and Monforte d’Alba. 

Like Aleste, approximately 20-30% of the grapes fermented as whole-bunches, with a very high percentage of whole berries in the destemmed portion (thanks to a state-of-the-art destemmer). The macerations were managed very carefully (now a little longer than in the past but very gentle), with Luca Sandrone aiming to capture as much fruit purity as possible. The notes below, and the reputation of the vintage speak for themselves. 

A blend of several small parcels of vines from several communes, Le Vigne is Sandrone’s ode to the classic Barolo-wide blend that was once the norm. All the sites that contribute to Le Vigne are markedly different from each other in terms of altitude, soil and exposure, and together provide a broad overview of Barolo in a given year. Twenty-twenty-one was the second year to include Nebbiolo from Sandrone’s new holding in Le Coste di Monforte. Sandrone has been farming this Monforte d’Alba site since 2000. From this vintage, Le Vigne includes fruit from five communes: Barolo, Serralunga d’Alba, Novello, Castiglione Falletto and Monforte d’Alba. 

Like Aleste, approximately 20-30% of the grapes fermented as whole-bunches, with a very high percentage of whole berries in the destemmed portion (thanks to a state-of-the-art destemmer). The macerations were managed very carefully (now a little longer than in the past but very gentle), with Luca Sandrone aiming to capture as much fruit purity as possible. The notes below, and the reputation of the vintage speak for themselves. 

The name of the wine may have changed, but Sandrone’s flagship Barolo is still, and will always be, 100% Cannubi Boschis, the Barolo vineyard synonymous with this grower. The Boschis subzone sits near the northern end of the Cannubi hill directly across from the Sandrone cellars. Sandrone farms 1.9 hectares of 40-year-old vines in the Cru, which has a particularly good south and southeast exposure in a small amphitheatre or conca that helps hold warmth in the early morning. Its soils are sea deposits of calcareous clay with sand and therefore have excellent drainage. 

Highlighting the uniqueness of the wines from this terroir compared to the rest of the Cannubi hill, Alessandro Masnaghetti’s L’Enciclopedia delle Grandi Vigne del Barolo writes: “The wines, in general, have good body, much elegance, and more polished tannins than other Cannubi wines.” The winemaking is identical to Le Vigne, aside from a little longer on skins. While both are extraordinary, the stylistic contrast is clear as day. Where Le Vigne is lifted and perfumed, and yet more classical and mineral, Aleste is more fleshy, layered and seductive when young.  

The name of the wine may have changed, but Sandrone’s flagship Barolo is still, and will always be, 100% Cannubi Boschis, the Barolo vineyard synonymous with this grower. The Boschis subzone sits near the northern end of the Cannubi hill directly across from the Sandrone cellars. Sandrone farms 1.9 hectares of 40-year-old vines in the Cru, which has a particularly good south and southeast exposure in a small amphitheatre or conca that helps hold warmth in the early morning. Its soils are sea deposits of calcareous clay with sand and therefore have excellent drainage. 

Highlighting the uniqueness of the wines from this terroir compared to the rest of the Cannubi hill, Alessandro Masnaghetti’s L’Enciclopedia delle Grandi Vigne del Barolo writes: “The wines, in general, have good body, much elegance, and more polished tannins than other Cannubi wines.” The winemaking is identical to Le Vigne, aside from a little longer on skins. While both are extraordinary, the stylistic contrast is clear as day. Where Le Vigne is lifted and perfumed, and yet more classical and mineral, Aleste is more fleshy, layered and seductive when young. 

This groundbreaking wine is made from a unique clone of Nebbiolo (now officially called Vite Talin) that Luciano Sandrone identified in 1987 and began slowly propagating. It is one of his great legacies and was an instant sensation when first released in 2013, receiving 100-point reviews from Antonio Galloni and Monica Larner.  Today, the wine comes from three small plots: Le Coste, Drucà and Rivassi where the Sandrone family have planted the Vite Talin vines. There are only 8,000 vines in production, leading to around 2,000 bottles of wine per year. But what a wine! 

Why did the Sandrone family go to all this effort? The berry size of Vite Talin vines is, on average, half that of normal Nebbiolo.  In a typical year, a Vite Talin berry weighs less than a gram, whereas a berry from Cannubi can weigh 2.2 grams. The resulting juice is considerably denser, and the winemaking is adapted to include extended macerations and aging, with three years in large, 2500-litre botti and a further three years in bottle before release. 

In general, you can expect a more mineral, ferrous and darkly fruited wine, more classic in structure and personality—something encouraged by the traditional vinification—yet still also offering great finesse and complexity. It is unique, and another remarkable chapter in the history of this Estate.