2008 Luciano Sandrone - Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore Nebbiolo - Italy - Piedmont - Alba - Red

Has opened up considerably since last tasted 4 months ago. Lush nose of pretty dark fruit and the typical tar and floral notes. Medium bodied with no heaviness. Has shed the youthful tannins that were dominant on the finish earlier. A great value, delicious Nebbiolo!

The "Valmaggiore" comes from a single, historical cru of the Roero district - Valmaggiore - situated in the commune of Vezza d’Alba. Valmaggiore is a project that took years to fully realise and is further evidence of the Sandrone’s complete commitment to the terroir of the region. It is a distinct site of exceptional terroir that was assembled over eight years by purchasing the vineyard holdings from almost 40 different previous owners. Luciano believed so passionately in the potential of this site that he was willing to wait years for the appropriate parcels of this hill to become available. Then he completely replanted and organised the new, combined vineyard for maximum quality. The first vintage was 1994. The Valmaggiore hill itself is incredibly steep – a 50% grade in places. The soil is comprised almost entirely of sand from shallow sea and beach deposits – fossils are often found here. The steepness of the site prohibits any mechanical work – everything must be done by hand. At harvest, a specially-designed "sled" which will hold 8 picking crates at a time is winched up in the aisles between sections of the vineyard to carry the grapes. Plants are closely spaced, 50 cm apart (8,000 plants per hectare) for competition and to help prevent erosion and all work is done by hand. The 2008 was fermented in used 500lt French oak barrels (no new oak here), and aged for 12 months in the same wood. It was released after a further nine months in bottle. BIBENDUM The 2008 Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore is the product of a challenging harvest. A soft, midweight wine, the Valmaggiore flows with the essence of dried fruit, flowers, sweet herbs and spices. This is a relatively easygoing Valmaggiore that doesn’t quite reach the summit of the finest years. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2015. ANTONIO GALLONI