Luciano Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 2021

Luciano Sandrone is one of the most celebrated names of modern Barolo — a producer who, alongside contemporaries like Elio Altare, helped pioneer the move toward shorter macerations and a more polished, internationally admired style in the 1980s, work now carried on by his nephew and niece, Alessia and Stefano, following his passing. Le Vigne is a deliberate exercise in multi-site blending: a wine drawn from Le Costa di Monforte in Monforte d'Alba, Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba, Villero in Castiglione Falletto, Vignane in Barolo and Merli in Novello — a wide span of fruit across various exposures, elevations and soil types brought together into one wine. In recent vintages there has been a shift toward greater Serralunga and Monforte influence, along with longer ferments, which has transformed Le Vigne into a darker, more sombre wine, while the inclusion of stems in some lots adds an extra aromatic dimension. The 2021 vintage — one of the finest in years for Barolo — has given this perennially excellent blend exceptional material to work with.