2022 Luciano Sandrone Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d'Alba, Piedmont

Very restrained on the nose, with licorice, smoky woodland and dried and ripe cherries. Firm tannins, a bit dusty on the mid-palate and austere on the finish, with refreshing acidity, a medium body and good fruit concentration. Drink now.

92 points jamessuckling.com

Luciano Sandrone Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d'Alba is a beautifully refined and expressive red that channels the elegance of Nebbiolo through the distinctive terroir of Roero’s Valmaggiore cru. This wine captures the grace and perfume of the variety with finesse, offering a more delicate yet deeply characterful alternative to Barolo and Barbaresco.

Valmaggiore is a steep amphitheatre of sandy soils in the Roero hills, just across the Tanaro River from Barolo. The fine, light soils of this site give Nebbiolo a uniquely floral and silky profile, with softer tannins and aromatic lift. Luciano Sandrone and his family recognised the potential of this site early on and have farmed their parcels with the same attention to detail as their Barolo vineyards.

Grapes are hand harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts, followed by ageing in large, mostly neutral French oak barrels. The result is a wine that honours the subtlety of Valmaggiore’s terroir while delivering the structure and precision Sandrone is known for.

In the glass, it opens with notes of rose petal, wild strawberry, raspberry, orange peel, and a hint of white pepper. The palate is medium bodied and finely textured, with bright acidity, supple tannins, and a long, mineral finish that lingers with red fruit and spice.

Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d’Alba is perfect with roasted poultry, porcini risotto, or pasta with truffle. It’s a wine that shows the softer, more graceful side of Nebbiolo while remaining deeply rooted in Piedmontese tradition.