2020 Sandrone Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d'Alba

Producer: The calling card of Valmaggiore is the haunting Nebbiolo aromas, and this vintage is a textbook example of the Roero’s potential. Aromas and flavors of sour dark cherries, wild strawberries, pomegranate seeds and currant waft from the glass, with impeccable balance and harmony on the palate. This wine is delicate, mid-bodied and elegant, with great harmony between the fruit, mineral and acid components. The finish has ripe tannins and excellent length.This is a generous, open and sweet expression of the Valmaggiore. The finish is balanced and ripe, ending with a distinct mineral note.

"This wine gives us a first taste of 2020 Nebbiolo fruit. The 2020 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore has some extra spice, blood orange and cola from the hot vintage. It ends with dusty smoothness and sweet, earthy sensations." 92 Points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"Clear, bright cherry red. A little reserved and shy on the nose, only tentatively revealing redcurrants and some raspberries. Delicately creamy on the palate with juicy tannins and a clear fruity core which follows through beautifully to the clean and slightly salty finish." 92 Points, Falstaff

"This wine offers aromas driven by red fruits, wild herbs, compact soil and dried flowers. Cranberry and cherry flavors fill the mouth, with dustings of crushed limestone and dried herbs. The wine has great structure and a good balance between tannins and acidity. Drink now–2030." -91 Points, Wine Enthusiast

Luciano Sandrone, one of Barolo’s defining figures, began as a teenage vineyard worker, saved enough to buy his first Cannubi parcel in 1977, and made his early wines in his parents’ garage while holding a full-time job. By 1999 he’d moved into his own winery, having spent two decades shaping a style that respects Barolo tradition while embracing careful, thoughtful updates. His wines sit between the region’s traditional and modern camps: generous and approachable when young yet firmly built for aging. Extremely low yields, meticulous vineyard work, and a measured cellar approach—medium-length macerations and mostly used 500-liter tonneaux—give his small-production wines their hallmark precision, balance, and lasting power.