Luciano Sandrone Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore 2017

Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2017 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore is bright, fruity and absolutely delicious. The warm vintage seems to have given the Valmaggiore an extra kick of mid-palate sweetness, which is not a bad thing for a wine that can at times be a bit lean. Sweet red berry fruit and floral notes are nicely pushed forward. The 2017 will benefit from a few years in bottle, which will allow the aromatics to develop, but it is impeccable in its balance and super-classy, even in the early going." 92/100

Wine Advocate (Monica Larner): “The Valmaggiore vineyard in Roero hill on the left bank of the Tanaro river has been pumping out some really impressive fruit lately. The 2015 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore is a prime example of this site-specific excellence. Nebbiolo from Valmaggiore tends to reveal floral intensity and that's what you pick up here. The bouquet is laced with many small details that keep your attention and form a greater web of nuance and complexity. Violets, wild berries, campfire ash and licorice root are part of this winning formula. The mouthfeel is consistently linear and tight. The Sandrone family first came to Valmaggiore in 1990. It took them several years to buy up the 28 individual parcels that form the three-hectare holding farmed today.”

"With scorching heat and little rain overall, there was reason for worry during the 2017 growing season at large, but in the Roero zone by the banks of the Tanaro river, the hilly Valmaggiore vineyards received more rain than other parts of Piedmont, so these grapes did not suffer as much. Lovely notes of red rose and some herbal tones appear on the nose of the 2017 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore, coupled with balsam, spice and rosemary. It's voluminous in the mouth, and while the Le Vigne Barolo tends to be the most floral and delicately ethereal of Sandrone's release, this bouquet is distinctive in its own way. It would be a nice pair with a mushroom risotto." 92/100