Luciano Sandrone, who died in 2023, was a true Barolo legend. He started out working in the cellar of a large Barolo concern, the Marchesi di Barolo. In the late 1970s, he managed to acquire... Read More
Luciano Sandrone, who died in 2023, was a true Barolo legend. He started out working in the cellar of a large Barolo concern, the Marchesi di Barolo. In the late 1970s, he managed to acquire a small piece of land in Barolo Cannubi. From there, he grew into one of the top names in Barolo.
His rise was not without controversy. He shortened maceration times and aged his wines in small barrels made from French oak. This made him a “modernist”, putting him in a camp that was widely criticized by Barolo traditionalists. But while some modernists deserved criticism for simply trying to imitate an international style that had found commercial success in other regions – such as Bordeaux and here in California – Sandrone introduced his innovations because he thought it could produce more pure Nebbiolo that better reflected the very special terroir that he owned.
His wines were more accessible on release, but his critics insisted that they would never age well. The critics were wrong. If you’re lucky enough to try his Barolos from the 1980s, you’ll see what we mean.
Luciano Sandrone shared something with his colleague and fellow legend Bruno Giacosa: an appreciation for Roero. Roero, to us, seems like Mercurey in Burgundy. We often say that Mercurey would be famous worldwide for its Pinot Noir if only it wasn’t in the shadow of the great Cote d’Or. Roero, too, would be famous – in its case for Nebbiolo – but isn’t only because Barolo and Barbaresco lie just across the river..
Since the mid-1990s, Sandrone has been making one of the best Nebbiolos in Roero. Valmaggiore is a sandy site with steep slopes on a south-facing amphitheater. It is considered the top Roero terroir. Sandrone (the winery remains in the capable hands of Luciano’s family) uses their signature modern techniques to make the wine, though they are somewhat toned down (500L barrels replace the smaller barriques).
