Barolo le Vigne 2016 - Luciano Sandrone (double magnum, CBO)

Barolo Le Vigne 2016 — Luciano Sandrone

This Barolo Le Vigne 2016 from Luciano Sandrone, offered here in double magnum OWC, is one of the great modern expressions of Nebbiolo in the Langhe. From an exceptional Barolo vintage, it combines depth, structure, freshness and aromatic precision: black cherry, Morello cherry, liquorice, violet, rose, forest floor, fine tar, spice, powerful tannins and an almost endless finish.

Le Vigne is Luciano Sandrone’s great multi-vineyard Barolo cuvée. It follows an old Barolo tradition: blending several great Nebbiolo terroirs in order to create a wine that is more complete, more complex and more harmonious than the expression of a single parcel. In 2016, this approach reaches a remarkable level, with a wine that is still dark, taut and reserved, destined for very long ageing.

Terroir: four great faces of Barolo

Le Vigne 2016 comes from four Nebbiolo vineyards spread across several villages of the appellation: Baudana in Serralunga d’Alba, Villero in Castiglione Falletto, Vignane in Barolo and Merli in Novello. Each terroir brings a different nuance: power, depth, aromatic finesse, tension, freshness and volume.

This construction gives a complete Barolo, where the strength of Serralunga meets the precision of Castiglione Falletto, the elegance of Barolo and the more earthy dimension of Novello. The soils vary between lighter, sandier textures, more compact and deeper earth, and different altitudes and exposures. In 2016, this mosaic of terroirs translates into a wine that is dense, deep, floral, spicy and extraordinarily long.

Tasting notes

Appearance: deep garnet with ruby reflections, still very youthful in expression, with the noble transparency of Nebbiolo and remarkable visual intensity. In double magnum, colour evolution should remain slow, preserving brightness, density and freshness for a long time.

Nose: deep, restrained and still coiled in on itself, gradually revealing black cherry, Morello cherry, plum, liquorice, fine tar, forest floor, violet and rose. With aeration, nuances of mint, pine, fresh and dried flowers, spice, anise, campfire ash, fine leather and noble earth may appear.

Palate: powerful, structured and very long, with dominant, ripe, firm, enveloping and still severe tannins. Beneath this imposing architecture lie deep fruit, vibrant acidity and saline energy that give the wine its verticality. The finish is immense, fresh, spicy and persistent, carried by black cherry, liquorice, flowers, forest floor and minerality.

Expression of the 2016 vintage

The 2016 vintage is one of the great recent Barolo vintages, marked by slow ripening, fine freshness and outstanding aromatic precision. At Sandrone, the season allowed parcel-by-parcel harvesting between October 2 and 22, producing Nebbiolo grapes of excellent maturity, with preserved acidity and a particularly noble tannic structure.

Today, Barolo Le Vigne 2016 remains a wine of patience, especially in double magnum. It can impress through its depth and precision, but it still needs time for the tannins to integrate fully. Its natural horizon is long ageing, with expected evolution towards more dried rose, tar, white truffle, fine leather, tobacco, forest floor, melted spices and saline complexity.