The estate's 2005 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore presents a subdued expression of its characteristic spiced, sweet red fruit. Medium in body, it displays excellent persistence if not the seductiveness of the finest vintages. Readers able to locate the 2004 should not hesitate to do so, it remains the finest Valmaggiore Sandrone has ever produced. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2012. 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. I have been following Sandrone's 2003 Barolos since just after the harvest. Over the last few years they have developed remarkably, and today are among the most successful Barolos of the vintage, particularly for the softness of their tannins, something which few producers were able to achieve. Both the Cannubi Boschis and Le Vigne were perfectly fresh and intact when I re-tasted them after 48 hours had passed. "Clearly 2003 was a challenging vintage. We used less of the fruit from our warmer microclimates for Le Vigne, although obviously we didn't have that luxury with Cannubi Boschis. In a sense it is a return to the past in that multi-commune Barolos had an advantage over single-vineyard wines. We did everything we could to maintain as much freshness as possible in the wines. We fermented using lower temperatures and bottled earlier than normal." Importers: Vintus LLC, Pleasantville, NJ tel. (914) 769-3000

Dense and gripping, this Nebbiolo d’Alba outdoes many Barolos. The complex nose shows blueberry notes and lifted aromas of perfumed soap. The palate is concentrated but in a closed state; leather and tar notes dominate but yield to refreshing blackberry flavors on the finish. Can be drunk now but several years aging will give the tannins a chance to soften and allow the palate to open up.——W.E.(2/1/2010)—— 88