There are few producers who have achieved a certain level of success in Barolo (part of the Langhe region) and make Nebbiolo wines in the Roero region, and fewer producers still who succeed at the highest levels in both regions. When you sit down with the Sandrone family, however, you may well end up spending more time discussing their section in the Valmaggiore vineyard in the Roero than the vineyards that bear the fruit for their legendary Barolos, Le Vigne and Cannubi Boschis.
In such a discussion, you will learn two things very quickly. The first is that Luciano Sandrone loves this area, and has kept this affection for four decades. In the 1970s, when at Marchese di Barolo, he worked in the Valmaggiore vineyard and first grew excited about the area and quality potential he saw. Luciano also loves that there is still quite a bit of nearby forest remaining, and therefore biodiversity, and not every inch has been planted over to vineyards.
Secondly, you learn that Valmaggiore, arguably the most prestigious vineyard in the Roero, will never produce a Barolo – and it shouldn’t! Only 15 miles from the Barolo district, the area is consistently warmer, and Valmaggiore is planted on soils that are much sandier than those in Barolo. The result? Sandrone’s Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d’Alba has wonderful aromatics and a balanced purity, but stop thinking of Barolo when you drink this wine and let the beautiful, deep fruit wash over you. The wine has signature ripe red fruit and licorice notes, complemented by floral, earth and spice notes beautifully held in frame by a body that has a certain roundness, but is totally in balance with the structure provided by its noticeable acidity and tannins. And, ultimately, because Valmaggiore is not Barolo, the Sandrone Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d’Alba is typically a third to a quarter the price of the Sandrone Barolos.
The incredibly steep bowl of Valmaggiore.
Luciano and his daughter, Barbara, on Valmaggiore. Notice how the snow is almost completely melted out of the bowl, a testament to its due-south exposure.
One of the great pairings of Piedmont, Valmaggiore and ravioli with shaved white truffles.