Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 2019 (750ml)

Luciano Sandrone is one of the most iconic producers in Barolo, and his is both a well known and extraordinary story. He started to learn viticulture at the age of 14 or 15, and after years of work as a cellarman he depleted his life savings and purchased his first vineyard on the Cannubi hill in 1977, though he could only manage his land on the weekends while he continued to work. He made his first vintage in 1978, in the garage of his parents, and then spent years refining his ideas about how to make a wine of distinction and utmost quality that respected the traditions of Barolo while incorporating new ideas and understanding about viticulture and vinification. He made every vintage until 1999 at home, until the winery he constructed in 1998 was ready for use.

The new winery, built at the foot of the steep Cannubi hillside in the heart of the Barolo district, is characterized by the respect for tradition and desire for innovation that also define Sandrone wines. Luciano has devoted every fiber of his being towards cultivating the finest Nebbiolo expressions from his sites in Barolo and the Roero, and transmitting these expressions through his wines.

Sandrone’s wines are sometimes described as straddling the modern and traditional styles in the region: elegant, attractive and easy to appreciate right from their first years in bottle, but with no less power and structure than traditional Barolos. Along with the extremely low yields in the vineyard and an obsessive attention to training, pruning and harvesting, Sandrone has a very rational approach in the cellar. This approach, however, is also unique and outside of simple classification: Sandrone subjects his wines to medium-length maceration period, shorter than traditional, but makes limited use of new oak in the maturation process, which takes place in 500 liter tonneaux, all signs of a more traditional approach in the cellar. The entire range of wines, all limited in production, are jewels of impeccably balanced concentration and precision, and the ability to age for long periods of time.

Dark red/garnet color. Tarry black cherries are front and center on the nose, with licorice, vanilla, black cassis, violets and hints of forest floor mushrooms coming through. The mouth is lovely, still a bit closed and with good tannins that will keep evolving, finishing with hints of cola nut and spices. At 8 years of age it is showing beautifully, and though it will keep improving, it will be hard to resist now. This is a long-lived wine, where the fruit is in great balance with the acid, oak and tannin.  

The multi-vineyard blend of Le Vigne gives a complex, expressive wine in a difficult vintage like 2017 – the balance afforded by multiple sites allows a more balanced result in the bottle. Mint, balsamic and macerated cherries emerge from the glass. The wine is lean and muscular, long and straight – focused, tight, precise. On the palate, pepper, spices, mint, hints of coffee and cola are wrapped around a core of lovely raspberry and red cherry fruit. Though it is still a bit rough at the edges, a few years of bottle ageing will smooth out the angles. This is a muscular Le Vigne, but also very balanced by the freshness of the acids. The finish is smooth and lasting, with fruit and graphite. Recommended drinking window: 2028 – 2048.

Critical Acclaim

WE97
Wine Enthusiast
Fragrant and delicious, this gorgeous wine opens with inviting aromas of rose, sandalwood, camphor and perfumed berry alongside whiffs of truffle and French oak. The full-bodied palate combines elegance and structure, featuring ripe Morello cherry, crushed raspberry, licorice and a dollop of vanilla alongside firm, refined tannins. It's already tempting but hold for more complexity. Drink 2024–2032.
JS97
James Suckling
Opulent and very sexy with perfume, cedar, dried flowers and dried strawberries and just a hint of nutmeg. It’s medium-to full-bodied with round and finely velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. So seductive. Drink after 2025.
W&S96
Wine & Spirits

According to Luca Sandrone, his key to success in the hot and dry 2017 vintage was resisting the temptation to pick too early, before the grapes reached optimal phenolic ripeness. While some producers began picking in September, the San- drone team waited until early October, when cooler temperatures refreshed the vines. Le Vigne, a blend of fruit from four communes (Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Novello and Serralunga d’Alba), indicates that the team’s timing was spot-on. The wine’s rich dark cherry flavors are laced with notes of licorice, carob and warm spice, the flavors gliding on smooth, polished tannins in a long, layered finish.

WS93
Wine Spectator
Bright cherry, plum, leather, tar and underbrush flavors are the highlights of this solid red. A firm grip of tannins lines the finish, but not before the fruit builds nicely. Fine freshness, balance and length. Best from 2024 through 2042.