Vintus

Le Vigne, Barolo

“Le Vigne” Barolo is a unique wine created from four different Nebbiolo vineyards, each of which brings its own contribution. This union generates an exceptionally complex wine that is round and harmonious on the palate, with fruity and spicy notes. The first vineyard, Vignane, is situated in the historical part of the Barolo appellation and is exposed West at an altitude of 300 meters (986 feet). The second, Conterni is in the Monforte d’Alba part of the appellation with a Southern exposure at an exceptional altitude of 450 meters (1480 feet). The third, Ceretta, is also from the Monforte d’Alba side and is exposed South-South/East at 300 meters above sea level. Last, the Merli vineyard is located in the Novello part of the appellation and is exposed Southwest at 450 meters above sea level. The vinification is the same as for the Cannubis Boschis.

• 2008 Vintage

  •  "Good deep, bright red.  Sexy, carnal aromas of crushed rasberry, rose petal and sexy oak lifted by a note of rose petal.  Vibrant, tight and firmly built, with lively acids giving lift and definition to the flavors of crushed red fruits, flowers and leather.  Not yet delivering the texture promised by the nose but this very long, solidly tannins Barolo is an infant today."  92(+?) Points International Wine Cellar

• 2007 Vintage

  • "The 2007 Barolo Le Vigne presents a beguiling combination of explosive, ripe fruit and finessed silky tannins that make it a thrilling wine to taste, even at this stage in its development. Small red berries, minerals, crushed flowers, vanillin and sweet spices are woven together in a fabric of undescribable elegance. The French oak has never been better balanced, while the vibrant, crystalline finish leaves a lasting impression. The 2007 Le Vigne has all the potential to develop into a spectacular wine. Actually, it already is. This is a totally stunning bottle of Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027." 96 Points Wine Advocate

  •  "Bright, dark red.  Dark Rasberry, chocolate and coffee on the nose; smells clearly riper than the 2008.  Fat, sweet and plump, with a texture of liquid velvet.  Surprising acidity and substantial but smooth tannins give this very ripe Barolo excellent spine.  Finishes with a note of menthol.  The 2008 may be a bit longer but it's much tighter today."  93 Points International Wine Cellar

  • "Mineral power infuses the cranberry and strawberry flavors of this wine with a ferrous intensity. The tannins feel light and elegant but powerful in their grip. There's a hint of gaminess to the flavor that should open into complexity as the wine ages." 93 Points Wine & Spirits Magazine

• 2006 Vintage

  2006 was distinguished by the almost total absence of rain. The good reserves accumulated from precipitation in winter and spring, together with temperatures which were never excessively high, enabled the grapes to ripen perfectly.

  • "Sandrone’s 2006 Barolo Le Vigne possesses awesome balance as intricately woven layers of aromas and flavors come together in the glass. The 2006 is an especially powerful Le Vigne boasting a solid core of floral, red fruits supported by firm yet elegant tannins. This, too, shows the considerable drive and focus that is the hallmark of the vintage. The wine’s overall balance is impeccable. Le Vigne is made from parcels in Vignane (Barolo), Conterni and Ceretta (Monforte) and Merli (Novello). The wines are aged separately for a year in 500-liter barrels. The final blend is assembled, after which the wine spends an additional year in oak prior to being bottled." 96 Points Wine Advocate

  • "Bright deep ruby-red.  Complex aromas of red cherry, blueberry and brown spices.  Full-bodied and deep, with high but harmonious acidity giving focus to the red cherry, camphor and mineral flavors.  Youthfully chewy yet smooth tannins stain the palate on the long, firm finish.  Though the fruit is starting to show through, this vintage of Le Vigne maintains an air of austerity and strictness that will take years to shed.  Forget about this beauty in your cellar for at least another ten years." 94+ Points International Wine Cellar

     

• 2005 Vintage

  The climatic trend of 2005 was rather particular, but on the whole very good. The winter was within the norm as far as temperatures were concerned, but there was a marked lack of precipitation, especially snow. 

  We had to wait for the April rains to build up satisfactory water reserves and May and June were so hot as to cause fears that the torrid summer of 2003 would be repeated. Fortunately, thanks to several drops in temperature and the arrival of storms, some of which were violent, July and August mitigated a summer which had started off extremely hot. A few days of rain during the first week of September caused us to worry a little, but our fears turned out to be groundless as the fine weather that followed stayed with us until the end of the grape harvest, apart from the rainfall between the 3rd and 7th of October, which posed a few risks. In conclusion, thanks in part to meticulous thinning and leaf removal, the 2005 harvest gave us excellent quality grapes. 

   

  The grapes were harvested between the 1st and the 15th of October. As always, each vineyard was harvested and vinified separately and, following maceration (7-12 days) and alcoholic fermentation (about 28 days) in steel, the various batches were transferred into French oak casks with a capacity of 500 litres, where they underwent malolactic fermentation until the end of January 2006. During the summer, when the first racking took place and the potential of every batch was assured, they were all blended and the wine continued ageing in wood until the end of December 2007. Bottling was carried out in January 2008, producing a total of 17,500 bottles, 700 magnums and 90 double magnums.  The wine then continued to mature for a further 18 months in our cellars. 

   

  The blending of wines of different origins and therefore with different characteristics is always fascinating. This year the result is a very complex, articulate and structured but elegant wine, a perfect interpretation of a vintage which can be described as classic.

  • "The 2005 Barolo Le Vigne opens with fresh, high-toned aromas that meld into a core of perfumed red fruits. There is notable vibrancy to the fruit, and although the 2005 is a relatively small-scaled vintage for this wine, the balance is exceptional. The Le Vigne has more than enough fruit to follow through all the way to the close, where notes of raspberry jam offer a final burst of intensity. Le Vigne is made from a number of parcels in Vignane (Barolo), Conterni and Ceretta (Monforte) and Merli (Novello). In 2005 the harvest took place in the first two weeks of October. The wines were vinified separately, then racked into 500-liter barrels. The final blend was assembled in the summer of 2006. Every year I taste through the various parcels separately and every year I am amazed by the way the final blend transcends the quality of the individual wines. Simply put, Le Vigne is a gem of a wine from Luciano Sandrone." 94 Points Wine Advocate

  • "Full, deep red-ruby.  Perfumed, nuanced nose offers pretty sour red cherry, raspberry and violet notes complicated by an intense spiciness that is textbook nebbiolo.  Dense and sweet, but with lovely vinosity giving shape to the penetrating flavors of dark cherry, dried flowers and mint.  Finishes bright and very long, with serious but smooth tannins and wonderful acid balance.  A spicy, pure nebbiolo that shows just how good the best 2005 Barolos can be.  Sandrone harvested the grapes for Le Vigne between October 1 and 15, which means that at least some of the grapes were picked after the October rains that spelled trouble for so many other producers in the area, but he has always maintained that his attentive, painstaking vineyard work allowed him to pick fully ripe grapes while avoiding rot." 94 Points International Wine Cellar

     

• 2004 Vintage

  The precipitation in autumn 2003 and at the beginning of 2004 regenerated water reserves, which had been reduced the previous hot and dry year.  Abu¬¬ndant rainfall in spring and below average temperatures delayed budding.  Subsequently mild temperatures allowed for balanced vegetative development and, at the end of August, the harvest looked set to be 8-10 days earlier than usual.  

  The warm sunny weather during September and much of October meant that grapes ripened perfectly: healthy with analytical parameters that far exceeded every expectation.

  Harvest was from the 19th of October (Ceretta) to the 4th of November (Vignane).  The maceration was 8 to 9 days in stainless steel, followed by 25 days alcoholic fermentation.  The Malolactic lasted until the end of 2004, taking place in French Liter French oak barrels.  Blending occurred in the summer of 2006, once the final quality potential of every lot could be determined.

  Maturation occurred for 24 months in the barrels from Malolactic Fermentation, and the wine then aged in bottle for a further 18 months.  

  18,000 bottles were produced, 700 magnums, and 90 double magnums. 

  • "The 2004 Barolo Le Vigne is a phenomenal effort. Sweet, long and pure, it reveals an expansive core of perfumed ripe red fruit, flowers and spices. Despite its notable concentration it is made in a restrained style, showing remarkable elegance as well as harmony, with superb length and finessed tannins on the close. Le Vigne is made from the Ceretta, Vignane, Merli and Conterni vineyards. I have tasted the wines from these plots separately on many occasions. Curiously, I have never been particularly impressed by any of the wines on their own, yet when they are blended the results can be extraordinary, as is the case with the sublime 2004 Le Vigne. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2019. Luciano Sandrone has been ecstatic about the quality of his 2004s since I first tasted the wines with him in the winter of that year. While 2004 is a superb vintage overall, Sandrone's wines stand out, most notably for their extraordinary elegance." 96 Points Wine Advocate

  • "Aromas of dried rose, with plum and violet. Full-bodied, with fine yet big tannins and a long, caressing finish. Dense and structured. A serious young red. Strong. This is still just a baby." 94 Points Wine Spectator

  • "Good full ruby-red. Explosive, vibrant aromas of blackberry, sandalwood and musky tobacco. A very suave, juicy wine with superb cut to its black plum, blackberry and licorice flavors. Hardly an outsized wine, but its sappy acidity and smooth, broad tannins give this elegant Barolo excellent structural support." 94 Points Stephen Tanzer

  • "Fully saturated ruby-red.  Musky, ripe aromas of red cherry, blackberry and tobacco, with hints of truffle and tar.  Enters the mouth full and dense, then turns juicy in the middle, with a suave touch to its rather ripe black plum, blackberry and tar flavors.  Smoothly tannic on the long, impressive finish, with a lingering textural creaminess and persistent hints of camphor, sandalwood and mint.  As good as this wine is, I’ve never been quite as impressed by it as some other experts:  I find it a little too outsized and rich and lacking the laser-like purity of the greatest Barolo vintages.  Still, as this is very much an infant, it’s likely to develop more nuance and refinement in bottle, at which point my score will look ungenerous.  Don’t even think of opening a bottle for at least another eight years, and enjoy it for a couple decades after that." 92+ Points International Wine Cellar

     

• 2003 Vintage

  In 2003 the higher vineyards were least affected by the heat, and in fact the Le Vigne 2003 is remarkable for how fresh and balanced it feels.  The vineyards were harvested individually from the 15th of September (Ceretta) through the 29th (Vignane).  Maceration took place for 9-10 days in stainless steel, and alcoholic fermentation over 28 days. Malolactic was in 500 liter French oak barrels and lasted until February 2004, and after blending in the summer of 2005, the wine was returned to the same barrels for about 6 months more, after which it spent 18 months in bottle.

  Vintage 2003 illustrates why Barolo was traditionally made as a blend from different parcels.  Having the ability to choose between wines from different parcels allowed Sandrone to make a wine of outstanding richness, complexity and balance.

  14,000 bottles, 690 magnums and 90 double magnums were produced.

  • "The 2003 Barolo Le Vigne may have a slight edge over the Cannubi Boschis in this vintage, as the ability to blend fruit from various microclimates was a big advantage. It is a full-bodied, soft-textured Barolo with lively color and plenty of ripe red fruit, menthol and spices. This is an especially fresh, vibrant wine for the vintage, with tannins that are particularly refined. A recent vertical of Le Vigne back to 1995 found the 1995, 1997 and 1998 drinking well and the 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2001 approachable, but still with additional upside potential." 93 Points Wine Advocate

  • "Impressively deep ruby-red color for the vintage. Superripe black fruit, brown spice and tar aromas reminded me of a fresher version of a top Bonneau Chateauneuf. Then sweet and layered in the mouth, with shockingly good ripe acidity for 2003. This boasts a penetrating violet florality I find in very few wines from this hot year. Not yet particularly complex but wonderfully fresh and strong. Sandrone did a second green harvest to remove part of the clusters, then picked slowly during the second week of September, his earliest harvest ever, to eliminate the dried berries. Can this really be better than the Cannubi Boschis?" 92(+?) Points Stephen Tanzer

  • "Displays bright berry and truffle on the nose. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a caressing finish. There's just a hint of new wood. Balanced and beautiful." 92 Points Wine Spectator