Luciano Sandrone Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore 2023
Valmaggiore is a magical, three-hectare, amphitheatre-shaped vineyard in the Roero area of Piemonte. Now that Roero is rising in prominence, we can truly recognise what a pioneer Luciano Sandrone was when he established Valmaggiore some 30 years ago. Nobody was talking about Roero at the time, but Sandrone recognised its potential, having worked with Roero parcels during his time as cellarmaster of Marchesi di Barolo. The risks were enormous; establishing an extremely steep vineyard (50% gradient in places) with such sandy soils (quick to dry out and erode) was always going to be a huge challenge, with no guarantee of quality. The land needed to be terraced and replanted, requiring major investment. And all this in a place outside the Barolo region that no one believed capable of greatness! Luciano Sandrone begged to differ.
The site is farmed meticulously and organically, and strict sorting occurs each year to reach the level of purity and intensity we see in the glass. Fermentation took place in tank, with malolactic fermentation and maturation in old French demi-muid (with 9-12 months aging). Over the years, this wine has developed a passionate following in Australia and deserves every plaudit. It is a unique Nebbiolo of tremendous perfume, fine texture and finesse, with an elegance and prettiness quite distinct from the denser, darker, more structured styles produced in the clay-rich soils of Barolo and Barbaresco. It’s about as close as Piemonte gets to Burgundy and is a wonderful drink young and old. The 2023 is superb.
Opened on Friday evening last week, the day the stock landed at the shop. Sandrone as a producer is a personal favourite, enhanced by a visit to the estate in 2019. The wine opens beautifully and is very aromatic and lifted: alpine herb, mountain air, crushed flowers and squashed orange. The palate is ethereal and fine-boned, yet with enormous flavour and elegance. As Galloni says below, it is certainly "pinot-leaning" albeit with a nice bite of tannin to close that takes you straight back to high quality nebbiolo. I'm not sure there is another wine in the shop for $100 that i would rather drink, across any grape variety." - Ches Cook, Five Way Cellars.
“The 2023 Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore is a very pretty, aromatic wine. Crushed flowers, ripe red-toned fruit, kirsch, cinnamon, rose petal and hard candy all grace this silky, perfumed Nebbiolo. The 2023 is distinctly Pinot-leaning in its inner sweetness and mid-weight feel.” 90 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“Even in a difficult year like 2023, Sandrone made a beautiful Valmaggiore. Showing the fragrance and finesse this celebrated site in Roero is known for, it opens with heady scents of violet, forest berry, spice and pine forest. All about elegant restraint, the polished, savory palate features ripe Morello cherry, succulent cranberry, white pepper and star anise alongside polished tannins. An orange zest note lends a tangy finish. Drink through 2028.” 93 points, Kerin O’Keefe, kerinokeefe.com