Sandrone
ALESTE Barolo 'Sibi et Paucis' 2013
Barolo
Each year, the winery chooses to put aside a small part of their production of the wines based in Nebbiolo. The winery holds these in their library under optimal conditions for resting, refining and the slow march toward maturity. The seal on the labels identifies these specific bottles and their path which began under the ground in their cellars.
ALESTE is the natural continuity of Luciano’s first wine, the Barolo Cannubi Boschis, which garnered Luciano his early acclaim with the international trade and press. Giving all the experience, knowledge, patience and passion of his many harvests, Luciano pays tribute, with boldness and sensibility, to the next family generation: “ALESTE” is in fact the combination of the names of his grandchildren ALEssia and STEfano.
This single-vineyard wine is typically dense and concentrated but shows incredible harmony and balance. The medium-weight structure shows delightful and seductive notes of berries and cherries, with floral and mineral aspects. In great vintages, properly cellared examples will drink well for 20+ years. The finish is sweet and broad, with moderate, ripe tannins and long length.
VINEYARD
The vineyard is one of the great cru sites in Barolo, synonymous with richness and complexity. Sandrone’s ALESTE Barolo is grown on the soil of Cannubi Boschis, in a specific sub-section of the Cannubi hill. Cannubi extends north from the village of Barolo and has been planted to Nebbiolo on its south and east exposures for at least a century. It runs approximately southwest-northeast and is entirely inside the commune of Barolo, from which it displays the characteristics of wines from this village: profound aromatic complexity and comparatively softer tannins in relation to vines grown in Monforte or Serralunga. The “Boschis” subzone of the Cannubi (also known, historically, as Monghisolfo) is near the northern end of the hill, and is located directly across the little valley from the Sandrone winery building. The Cannubi Boschis subzone has a particularly good exposure to the south and southeast in a small bowl or “conca” that helps hold the warmth in the early morning. Its soils are sea deposits of calcareous clay, not very deep, with good drainage.
WINEMAKING
Each lot of the vineyard is vinified separately, and after destemming and light crushing, the must is covered with CO2 for a gentle warm maceration of approximately a day. Alcoholic fermentation begins about 24-36 hours later from native yeasts. A gentle maceration takes place in upright open-top steel tanks for the first 9-10 days of alcoholic fermentation. Immediately after alcoholic fermentation, which takes 28-30 days, malolactic fermentation takes place in 500 liter French oak casks. The wine is aged in these casks for 24 months, followed by 18 months of bottle aging. Around 800 cases are produced in a typical vintage.
VINTAGE
Overall, it was a season characterized by a dual personality: after an initial cool and rainy phase, a second warmer and drier period allowed the fruit to recover strongly and achieve highly satisfying results. Even though the bud break took place during a period characterized by low temperatures and frequent rainfalls, by June the atmospheric conditions had markedly improved, and flowering happened under favorable conditions, resulting in a good fruit set. The true turning point came in July with a period of stable weather. Warm and bright days into October helped the phenolic development. The cool nights of the last period of maturation helped develop the best characteristics of Nebbiolo, thus obtaining grapes of excellent quality. In the end, the vineyard management was demanding, but have certainly made a difference and make the year 2013 a particularly good year. Harvest took place from October 3rd until 24th.
TASTING NOTE
In a cool and classic vintage such as 2013, one would expect a wine of power, austerity and verticality, and while the 2013 Aleste delivers these, there is also a generosity and balance to the wine that is very surprising in the context of the vintage. The nose, while open and generous and full of red cherry and strawberry fruit and flowers, also shows balsamic notes that indicate its growing maturity and complexity. On the palate, the wine shows great lift and expansiveness, with cinnamon, Darmasin plum and black cherry, all framed by the excellent acidity from this cool, classic vintage. The finish has long, developed tannins that linger. The mouthfeel is one of lift and expansiveness, deep and long.
Color
Red
Appellation
Barolo
Farming
Follows organic farming but has chosen not to seek certification. Minimal quantities of Bordeaux mixture and sulfur (as allowed per organic practices) are used to control mold and fungus, and fertilization every 4-6 years occurs with composted manure from dairy cows.
Alcohol
14.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$270
Trade Materials
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