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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
Langa style. Between the Dolcetto vine and the Langa hills there is a pact that has lasted for centuries. Not only because the grape was born on these hills on the right bank of the Tanaro river. Above all, for the strong bond that has endured between this grape variety and its wine and the people who live in these areas. If it is common to look at the hills and track in their crests and slopes the well-defined rows of Dolcetto during the four seasons of the year, it is just as common to look at the wineglasses set on the tables in the houses of the region and find in them the colors and fragrant aromas of youthful Dolcetto d'Alba.
Immediate fragrance. Our eleven Dolcetto vineyard parcels are situated on the highest hills of Barolo: they have "white soils" of a high limestone content, with challenging slopes and altitudes often exceeding 350-400 meters above sea level. Year after year we work these vineyards with passion and finally harvest their perfectly ripened grapes in the middle of September. After separate vinifications of each parcel, we select the best lots to create an „assemblaggio" wine: assembled according to the Langa tradition. This bottle embodies quality and holds a young and fragrant wine that is equally enjoyable on the daily table and as at a party.
Dolcetto d'Alba DOC
- 100% Dolcetto
- Spontaneous fermentation from indigenous yeasts
- Maceration and fermentation in open steel tanks
- Malolactic fermentation and ageing in steel tanks
- 3 months of bottle aging
- Vineyards in the villages of Monforte d'Alba: Cascina Pe Mol and Castelletto, and of Novello: Ravera and Rocche di San Nicola
- Alcohol content: 13%
- Recommended drinking time:
2017-2021
Wine Information
The story of Luciano Sandrone can be told in a few words. Years of hard work as a cellar man, then all of sudden preceded the opportunity to buy a vineyard on Cannubi hill, in the heart of the Barolo wine zone. The first harvest in '78, the first satisfactions. Then more vineyards, more harvests and new acknowledgements. Right from day one, Luciano and his brother Luca have strived to achieve excellence. Today this achievement is acknowledged the world over and is confirmed with every vintage.
Balance is the keyword: in the cellar, between innovation and tradition; in the wines, between elegance and body; in the estate, between international distribution and a “human” dimension.
Excellence is created in the vineyard. It is in the vineyard that quality has birth. Every wine is the product of the expression of single characteristics of each parcel, with its soil, its microclimate, its yeasts and its character. This process is possible only when there is knowledge and respect for the individuality of each vineyard, constant care and dedicated attention, at all times.
Vuosikerta 1998
Italy/Barolo/Barbaresco/Excellent to Exceptional – A vastly underrated vintage, 1998 had the misfortune of being sandwiched between 1997 (a vintage that was overrated) and the stellar 1999. 1998 offers everything you want in a manual Barolo or Barbaresco – nice concentration, firm tannins and precise acidity. In fact, it is the acidity of these wines that, in my opinion, carries these wines, keeping a wonderful freshness and elegance to these wines. This is not the most concentrated vintage of the last decade (1999, 2001 and 2004 produced much more powerful wines), but there is admirable depth of fruit and great balance and finesse. Most of the best Barbaresco bottlings as well as many 1998 Barolos drink beautifully now, while some of the best Barolos will provide another 10-12 years of enjoyment.
