Sandrone - Barolo Le Vigne Sibe Et Paucis 2013 (750ml)
Vinous: 98 Points
The 2013 Barolo Le Vigne Sibi et Paucis the Sandrone library release of the 2013 is an infant. That's the good news. Even better it is developing at a snails' pace. Bright red-toned fruit chalk mint white flowers and white pepper lend brightness. Readers will have to be patient though as the 2013 is nowhere near ready to drink. Those who are fortunate to own it should be thrilled. Magnificent. - By Antonio Galloni on November 2022 Sandrone was the first stop on my trip for this report. Maybe there was some sort of meaning to that. I learned of Luciano Sandrone's passing just as we are going to press. To say Sandrone was a titan of Barolo is a massive understatement. Sandrone defined an entire generation of Barolo growers. With all due respect to his contemporaries Sandrone did several things none of them did. First he created an estate from nothing with no inherited land but rather with a vineyard he and his wife Mariuccia purchased. Sandrone almost immediately found remarkable balance crafting Barolos that were decidedly modern in style and appealed to wine lovers reared on the classics. The 1989 and especially 1990 Cannubi Boschis were among his first iconic wines. Last and maybe most importantly Sandrone was the only grower of his generation to create a winery and was able to climb the ranks and become part of Piedmont's elite that small group of historic family-run estates whose wines are highly sought in the secondary market. I tasted these new releases with Sandrone's brother Luca daughter Barbara and granddaughter Alessia who represents the next generation. All three wines were spectacular both at the estate and in my office in New York a few weeks later. Luca Sandrone described 2019 as a year with heavy rains in the winter but no extremes during the growing season. Harvest for the Nebbiolo ran from October 9 through 18 starting with Villero and finishing with Le Coste. On that subject 2019 is the first vintage of Le Vigne that incorporates fruit from Le Coste in the blend. The Aleste and Le Vigne were in tonneau by November where they finished the malolactic fermentations. Total time in wood was 20-22 months. The Vite Talin follows a different protocol. It was fermented in wood and saw an extended submerge cap fermentation. It spent two years in tonneau and a year in cask. The 2017 is magical.
vWine Advocate: 97 Points
A late-release bottle that sees another decade of aging in controlled conditions at the winery the Luciano Sandrone 2013 Barolo Le Vigne Sibi et Paucis is an ambitious effort that seeks to engage lovers of aged Nebbiolo. I wish more wineries in Barolo had late-release programs like this that allow us to buy aged wine directly from the cellars. Showing soft and silky tannins this wine reveals dark fruit smoke tar and licorice. The 2013 vintage is structured and there is an elegantly dusty quality on the close. Luciano Sandrone died in January 2023 after a battle with cancer. He was 76 years old. Luciano Sandrone was a transformational figure in Barolo who helped to elevate the wine to the worldwide status it enjoys today. For those of us who regularly tasted with him he will be remembered for his kind smile the love he showed for his family his quest for quality and that bright blue apron that seemed permanently affixed to his torso. Winemaking will be continued by his brother Luca who joined the winery in 1992. Luciano's daughter Barbara manages the commercial side of the business. His granddaughter Alessia has recently joined Luca in the cellars and his grandson Stefano continues his university studies. Our deepest condolences go to the entire Sandrone family. Published: Aug 24 2023
