2024 Luciano Sandrone Dolcetto d'Alba

90 Points, Vinous Media. The 2024 Dolcetto d'Alba is plump, juicy and expressive. Black cherry, plum, cloves, licorice and chocolate are pushed forward. This shows terrific depth and textural persistence, both qualities that were in short supply in 2024. Delicious.

90 Points, Jeb Dunnuck. A preview of the next release, the 2024 Dolcetto D'Alba is a youthful magenta color and has a fresh, lifted nose offering bright aromatics of fresh violets, blackberries, and red-fruited highlights. Medium-bodied, it has a clean, refreshing feel throughout, with a light chalky texture. It’s a highly charming wine to drink over the next few years.

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.