Luciano Sandrone Barolo Aleste 2019 750ml

The name of the wine may have changed, but Sandrone's flagship Barolo is still, and will remain 100% Cannubi Boschis, the Barolo vineyard so synonymous with this grower. The Boschis subzone sits near the northern end of the Cannubi hill and is located directly across from the Sandrone cellars. The Cru (of which Sandrone farm 1.9 hectares of 39-year-old vines), has a particularly good exposure to the south and southeast in a small amphitheatre or "conca" that helps hold warmth in the early morning. Its soils are sea deposits of calcareous clay with some sand and therefore excellent drainage. Highlighting the uniqueness of the wines from this terroir compared to the rest of the Cannubi hill, Alessandro Masnaghetti's L'Enciclopedia delle Grandi Vigne del Barolo writes, "The wines, in general, have good body, much elegance, and more polished tannins than other Cannubi wines." Aside from a little bit longer on skins, the winemaking is essentially identical to Le Vigne.

The 2019 Barolo Aleste is another stellar wine from Sandrone. Like Le Vigne, the Aleste is a tightly wound ball of energy. Dark cherry, mocha, plum, licorice and lavender all race across the palate. This racy, but youthfully austere Barolo has a ton to offer. There's more density and a darker profile than in the Le Vigne, sort of like a soloist to Le Vigne's orchestra. (97)