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Luciano Sandrone is one of the leading producers in Barolo. His story is well known: after years of work as a cellarman he purchased his first vineyard on the Cannubi hill. Since their first harvest in 1978, Luciano and his brother Luca have devoted tremendous efforts towards cultivating the finest fruit in their vineyards, which now cover 63 acres in the best parts of Langa and Roero, and to taking extraordinary care in the cellar. Sandrone's Barolos are sometimes described as straddling the modern and traditional styles in the region: elegant, attractive and easy to appreciate right from their first years in bottle, but with no less power and structure than traditional Barolos. Along with the extremely low yields in the vineyard, Sandrone has a very rational approach in the cellar. This approach, however, is also unique and outside of simple classification, as Sandrone subjects his wines to a relatively short maceration period, does not use rotary fermentors, and makes limited use of new oak in the maturation process, all signs of a traditional approach in the cellar. The new winery, built in 1998 at the foot of the steep Cannubi hillside in the heart of the Barolo district, is characterized by the respect for tradition and desire for innovation that also define Sandrone wines. "Luciano Sandrone is one of the leading lights in Piedmont. No grower has managed to so brilliantly reconcile modern and traditional approaches in making wines that are soft, supple and approachable when young, but also capable of aging beautifully. " Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate, November 2007. Producer Luciano Sandrone is one of the leading producers in Barolo. Since their first harvest in 1978, Luciano and his brother Luca have devoted tremendous effort toward cultivating the finest fruit in their vineyards in the best parts of Langhe and Roero. Luciano began making small quantities of his own wine in the garage of his parents' home, refining his ideas about how to make a wine of distinction and high quality that respected the traditions of the Barolo while incorporating many of the technological innovations of the day. Vineyard practices include a minimum of two green harvests per vintage. Minimal quantities of Bordeaux mixture and sulfur (as allowed per organic practices) are used to combat mold and fungus. The winery generally follows organic farming but has chosen not to seek certification. Canopy management is the same at every vineyard and defoliation is on the west side of the plant for maximum afternoon sun. Fertilization is every 4-6 years with composted manure from dairy cows only. Their yields are extremely low. The wines undergo short maceration periods, the use of new oak is limited in the maturation process. The wines are elegant, attractive and easy to appreciate from their first years in bottle, but they have no less power and structure than traditional Barolos. Luciano has never lost track of the things that brought him his initial success – wines of integrity, purity and deep expression, made with passion and honesty to provide great drinking pleasure. |
