2011 Luciano Sandrone Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore
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Tasting notes
The 2011 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore Sibi et Pauci is a special late-release edition that hits the market four years following its original release. Anywhere from 10-15% of production is put aside in the cellar to be part of this program. This expression is very much intact and shows little in terms of tertiary definition. The bouquet is plump and robust with dried blackberry and plum. The wine's color is a bit lighter with pretty ruby highlights, but this wine offers thick fiber and silky endnotes. Nebbiolo from the Valmaggiore vineyard in Roero shows a more streamlined palate compared to Nebbiolo from the Langhe. You could pair it with meat or fish baked in potato crust.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2011 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore is ample and generous, with plenty of the soft contours of the year in evidence. Sweet floral notes, red berries, mint and white pepper add attractive aromatic top notes to balance the richness of the fruit. This is an excellent showing from the 2011. Even with all of the fullness and ripeness of the year, the 2011 retains terrific freshness.
(aged entirely in used 550-liter tonneaux): Bright medium red. Enticing perfume of raspberry, minerals, tobacco, dried flowers and red licorice are accented by a peppery nuance. Compellingly sweet and fine-grained, with pungent red raspberry and mineral flavors nicely framed by bright acidity. Highly aromatic nebbiolo from light, sandy soil in Roero. Finishes with dusty tannins and lovely lingering perfume. Has the balance to make delicious early drinking. (I also tasted the 2007 library release, which is the same wine that was released four years ago but with a special logo on the label. I found it more liqueur-like than my original bottle and drier on the finish, marginally disappointing at 89 points.)
The 2011 Langhe Nebbiolo Valmaggiore bursts out of the glass with layers of deep, expressive fruit. This is an especially rich, broad-shouldered Nebbiolo with fabulous depth, volume and tons of personality. The style is undoubtedly racy and big, but all the elements come together very nicely, even if some of the vineyard qualities of this site in Vezza d'Alba have been slightly baked out by the year. Still, there is an immediacy and a pure exuberance in the 2011 I find impossible not to love.
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.