2009 Barolo Le Vigne
Buying options
Tasting notes
Now with the distance of time, the 2009 harvest was perhaps not as elegant (generally speaking) as the 2008, but mercifully cooler than the 2007. A ten-year late release, the 2009 Barolo Le Vigne Sibi et Paucis offers plenty of dense, black fruit, along with succulence and plumpness. This vintage of Le Vigne sourced fruit from Monforte d’Alba, but this is no longer the case in the vintage to follow. The tannic structure is there, and this wine seems to be held together with a magical string. You'll find warm, earthy tones covering the whole mouth evenly. As elegant as this Barolo is, I'd be tempted to pair its dark fruit and earthy notes with a simple homemade pasta with sausage, onion and sautéed chanterelles or any other home-cooked dish that is near to your heart.
Critic scores
Average Score
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
For a 2009, this shows exceptional concentration and life on the nose with dark cherries, dried meat, blackcurrants, bracken, tar and a hint of treacle tart and tobacco. On the palate, this is full-bodied, big and muscular but elegant and precise, framing sturdy tannins against a backdrop of dark fruit and zippy acidity. Drink now.
The 2009 Barolo Le Vigne is a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Medium in body and gracious, with terrific energy, the 2009 is just starting to develop the full range of its aromatic complexity. Sweet red berry, pomegranate, and blood orange are some of the many notes that help give the wine a good bit of freshness. This is a very pretty, somewhat compact, Le Vigne.
Deep, bright red. Enticing aromas of blackberry, violet, licorice and bitter chocolate. Then surprisingly round and open-knit in the mouth, offering dense, sweet flavors of red and purple berries and flowers. Distinctly silkier in the early going than the Cannubi Boschis, this finishes sweet and long, with pliant tannins. A superb showing. This was the first vintage of Le Vigne to include some Baudana fruit but Sandrone lost his source for Conterni and Ceretta di Monforte. (The splendid 2005 Le Vigne, re-released this year in limited quantities, boasts wonderfully fresh purple fruit and violet aromatics; an extract-rich texture like liquid silk; and a horizontal finish that combines outstanding energy and perfume. In my September tasting I scored it a solid 95 points: it's a remarkable example of its vintage.)
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.