Luciano Sandrone Barolo Aleste Sibi et Paucis 2015

“Now approaching its tenth birthday, the 2015 Barolo Aleste Sibi et Paucis is impressive. Dark and ample in the glass, the 2015 offers up a beguiling mix of black cherry, plum, licorice, new leather and mocha. Floral notes open on the mid-palate and finish, giving this generous, super-expressive Barolo added layers of nuance.” 96 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

The Sandrone family runs an outstanding museum program they call Sibi et Paucis—the name is Latin and translates roughly as: for the few and favoured. Each year, about 10 to 15% of the production of their Nebbiolo wines (the two Barolos and the Valmaggiore) is held back in the winery’s underground cellars under optimal aging conditions, to provide this producer’s long-term clients with aged-release wines that are closer to maturity.

It is Luciano Sandrone’s dream that one day all his wines will be released only when they are ready to drink. Currently, the Sibi et Paucis wines start being re-released six years after the vintage for the Valmaggiore, and for the Barolos, 10 years after the vintage. It is a wonderful initiative that we, of course, welcome. Each release comes with a stamp on the label to differentiate it from the original release.

Below you have the third-party notes that pertain to the re-released wines (i.e., they are all recent tastings and reviews). Having tasted these, we can say categorically that they are all drinking superbly. Still young and still capable of further development, they also deliver pleasure now, especially with a few hours in the decanter.