Epic Barolo Vintage 2016
featuring Iconic Luciano Sandrone
w/100 point Barolo and So Much More!
We have been following the wines of Luciano Sandrone for 25+ years, an iconic Barolo winemaker in Piedmont who began working in wine cellars at the tender age of 14. After years of working as a cellarman for others, he depleted his life savings and purchased his first vineyard on the renowned Cannubi hill in the heart of the Barolo district in 1977. He made his own first vintage in 1978 in his parent's garage, 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. He made every vintage until 1999 at home, and then moved to his new winery that he built at the foot of the steep Cannubi hillside. 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.
Today we are thrilled to offer Luciano Sandrone's newest releases from 2018 and 2016, available to a highly select group of wine merchants in the USA. We requested our allocation well in advance and are super grateful for what we received. From his Barbera which is considered by many to be the greatest one produced, to his 98 point 2016 Cannubi Boschis (now called ALESTE) to his Nebbiolo Valmaggiore made in Roero to the aforementioned 100 pointer, 2016 LE VIGNE, which is a blend of 4 exceptional Barolo vineyards, all of the wines below are magical Piemontese expressions. Also from our Food Market, make sure you ask for our Piemontese cheeses, honeys, chocolates and more...
**EXPLORE WINES & FOODS OF PIEDMONT**
Cheers! the Murray family
'Extraordinary producers of Barolo, Luciano Sandrone and his wife worked at Marchesi di Barolo before acquiring a tiny plot of land outside their native village of Barolo in 1977. Theirs quickly became a cult wine, first with their 1982 and 1985 vintages. Then they made a wine that merited one of the first perfect scores I ever gave a Barolo, the 1990. There is attention to detail in the vineyard and in the winery at every level, and the results are wines that are hybrid creations, paying respect to both progressives and traditionalists.'
Robert Parker, The World's Greatest Wine Estates
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RATED 94 WINE ADVOCATE : 'The Luciano Sandrone 2018 Barbera d'Alba is a wine of remarkable smoothness and integration. There are absolutely no sharp edges here, as this Barbera is polished and buffed over twice for good measure. It is packed tight with luscious dark fruit and blackberry preserves. That dark core is framed by light touches of Indian spice, campfire ash and truffle. There is a note of cherry sweetness on the close, but it is beautifully softened by all that rich intensity. If you are a fan of the Barbera grape, let me draw your attention to this tremendous value.'
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$49.99
$36.99
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RATED 94+ WINE ADVOCATE : 'The Luciano Sandrone 2018 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore shows a very fruity, fresh and accessible side of the Nebbiolo grape. This wine is open-knit and inviting with a steady succession of aromas that range from red cherry and plum to rosemary sprig and crushed mineral. On some level, you could call it Barolo Lite, although that does not do justice to the Valmaggiore vineyard in Roero that outperforms year after year. The wine is Barolo-adjacent for sure, but it offers its own bright and distinct personality. It's an exciting, new generation of Nebbiolo.' |
$55.00
$44.99
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RATED 100 WINE ADVOCATE : 'I absolutely adore this wine on every emotional and intellectual level. I can still taste it today, weeks after my first sampling. The Luciano Sandrone 2016 Barolo Le Vigne is a stirring and profound expression that pulls on your heartstrings. I found it to be unforgettable, quite literally, inspiring one of those celebrated "wow" moments that we wine lovers so desperately seek in bottle after bottle. Le Vigne is a clever blend of fruit from Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba (offering the power), Villero in Castiglione Falletto (shaping the precision), Vignane in Barolo (adding to the purity of the aromas) and Merli in Novello (that helps to flesh out the fruit). This intersection of various vineyards spanning the appellation creates a pyramid of perfection and beauty. The wine shows large construction, but that fruit weight is balanced against the vivid cherry, spice, aniseed and campfire ash that gently lift from the bouquet.'
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$249.00
$199.00
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RATED 98 WINE ADVOCATE AND VINOUS : 'The Luciano Sandrone 2016 Barolo Aleste is a very special wine for several reasons. First, we get that exceedingly smooth and seamless quality that we saw in many of the other new releases in this portfolio. This trait sums up the house style. Second, this vintage delivers impeccable intensity that transcends the various fruit, spice, earthy and ethereal components of the bouquet. That equal intensity spread across all parts of the wine is what creates those beautiful transitions. The wine is layered and rich in terms of mouthfeel with a long, fruit and spice-driven finish. The tannins are tucked in at the back, surrounded amply by the wine's textural richness and fruit weight.' |
$249.00
$199.00
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RATED 95 WINE ADVOCATE : 'Luciano Sandrone's 2011 Barolo Cannubi Boschis is shaping up to be one of the protagonists of the vintage. I say "shaping up" because the wine is still in a youthful stage and has yet to open up fully. Tight and firm, it shows the potential for enormous depth and dimension with dark fruit, spice, licorice and white truffle. If you taste through Sandrone's older vintages, it is apparent that they perform exceptionally well in warm years like 2011. It promises a rewarding evolution ahead but I would suggest waiting five more years before popping the cork.'
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$199.00
$149.99
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