Luciano Sandrone - Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d'Alba 2022

Hailing from a family of carpenters, Luciano broke from the family business, taking an interest in wine from a very young age. At only 15 years old, he began learning about viticulture and knew his life journey always lay in wine. Though he completed military service for a brief period, his work in the vineyard was inevitable, creating his first vintage in 1978 on a small parcel of land in the Barolo Cru of Cannubi Boschis. With only 1500 bottles produced, Sandrone had low expectations for his debut wine until he met an American buyer at Italy’s famed, Vinitaly. There, he sold out his entire 1978 vintage and gradually expanded his vineyard to 27 hectares across Piedmont.

Modeling his wines after Burgundy producers, Sandrone Winery utilized minimal cellar work and kept the business in the family. Luciano worked alongside his brother Luca, daughter Barbara, and grandchildren Alessia and Stefano before his unfortunate passing in 2023. Ultimately, only twelve full-time workers were ever present in the vineyard, producing some of the finest Barolo Italy has ever seen.

Until 1998, Sandrone wines were created in Luciano’s home, strictly sticking to proven methods. Though the winery was never certified bio-organic due to fear of appearing inauthentic to customers, Sandrone wines always used this type of cultivation. Each harvest was hand-picked, and maceration occurred in large-format oak. Around 30-50% of the fruit was fermented and only 95,000 bottles were produced each year.

Spontaneous fermentation from indigenous yeasts. Maceration and fermentation in open steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation and aging in French Oak tonneaux of 500 liters. Aged in bottle for 9 months before release.

"A vivid but transparent red color, the 2022 Nebbiolo D'Alba Valmaggiore is bright with aromas of candied cranberries, cinnamon, dusty earth, and fresh roses. Coming from a single vineyard in Roero, the wine is medium-bodied and ripe but retains great freshness and vibrancy, with terrific structure and a long, rather notable finish. An impressive entry to the Nebbiolo range, it offers a lot of fresh purity and is surprisingly light on its feet for the vintage.” - 93 Points, Jeb Dunnuck

Producer: Luciano Sandrone

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Varietal: Nebbiolo

Appellation: Nebbiolo d'Alba

Vintage: 2022

Size: 750ml