2005 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore
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Tasting notes
Good deep red. Wonderfully subtle aromas of strawberry, sandalwood, coffee, tobacco and dried flowers. In a silky, understated, almost Burgundian style, with superb sweetness buffered by harmonious acidity. A wonderfully juicy, suave, delineated nebbiolo with terrific life and lift. Piquant note of pomegranate seed. Extremely young but already demonstrates great finesse. Sandrone is holding back some of this for late release.
Critic scores
Average Score
The Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The estate's 2005 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore presents a subdued expression of its character istic spiced, sweet red fruit. Medium in body, it displays excellent pers istence if not the seductiveness of the finest vintages. Readers able to locate the 2004 should not hesitate to do so, it remains the finest Valmaggiore Sandrone has ever produced.
The estate's 2005 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore presents a subdued expression of its characteristic spiced, sweet red fruit. Medium in body, it displays excellent persistence if not the seductiveness of the finest vintages. Readers able to locate the 2004 should not hesitate to do so, it remains the finest Valmaggiore Sandrone has ever produced. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2012. Luciano Sandrone is one of the leading lights in Piedmont. No grower has managed to so brilliantly reconcile modern and traditional approaches in making wines that are soft, supple and approachable when young, but also capable of aging beautifully. I have been following Sandrone's 2003 Barolos since just after the harvest. Over the last few years they have developed remarkably, and today are among the most successful Barolos of the vintage, particularly for the softness of their tannins, something which few producers were able to achieve. Both the Cannubi Boschis and Le Vigne were perfectly fresh and intact when I re-tasted them after 48 hours had passed. "Clearly 2003 was a challenging vintage. We used less of the fruit from our warmer microclimates for Le Vigne, although obviously we didn't have that luxury with Cannubi Boschis. In a sense it is a return to the past in that multi-commune Barolos had an advantage over single-vineyard wines. We did everything we could to maintain as much freshness as possible in the wines. We fermented using lower temperatures and bottled earlier than normal." Importers: Vintus LLC, Pleasantville, NJ tel. (914) 769-3000
The estate's 2005 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore presents a subdued expression of its characteristic spiced, sweet red fruit. Medium in body, it displays excellent persistence if not the seductiveness of the finest vintages. Readers able to locate the 2004 should not hesitate to do so, it remains the finest Valmaggiore Sandrone has ever produced. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2012. Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate # 173 Oct 2007
About the producer
Luciano Sandrone is a name synonymous with the highest standards of Barolo winemaking. Founded in 1978, this family-owned estate has become a modern icon, earning international acclaim for its meticulous wines and thoughtful, site-driven approach to Nebbiolo.