Sandrone
Sibi Et Paucis ALESTE Barolo 2016
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.
WINE
ALESTE - a combination of the names of Luciano Sandrone's grandchildren ALEssia and STEfano -- is the new name for Luciano's first wine, the Barolo Cannubi Boschis, which garnered Luciano his early acclaim with the international trade and press. This single-vineyard wine is typically dense and concentrated but shows incredible harmony and balance.
VINEYARD
Cannubi Boschis is one of the great cru sites in Barolo, synonymous with richness and complexity. Located near the northern end of the Cannubi hill — entirely within the commune of Barolo — it sits in a small south and southeast-facing bowl that captures warmth in the early morning hours. The soils are shallow sea deposits of calcareous clay with good drainage, lending the wines their characteristic profound aromatic complexity and comparatively softer tannins than those grown in Monforte or Serralunga. The Sandrone winery sits directly across the valley from this storied subzone.
WINEMAKING
Each vineyard lot is vinified separately. After destemming and light crushing, the must is blanketed with CO2 for a gentle warm maceration of approximately one day before alcoholic fermentation begins from native yeasts 24 to 36 hours later. Fermentation takes place in upright open-top steel tanks over the first 9 to 10 days, with total alcoholic fermentation running 28 to 30 days. Malolactic fermentation follows immediately in 500-liter French oak casks, where the wine then ages for 24 months in casks and 18 months in bottle. Only 800 cases produced.
VINTAGE
A slow, deliberate season across the Langhe, 2016 saw a mild winter and cool, wet spring decelerate the vegetative cycle well into summer, pushing veraison 13 to 15 days later than 2015. An unsettled summer of alternating heat and storms gave way to a strong late-August and September recovery, with warm days and cool nights delivering ideal maturation conditions. Harvest ran October 13th to 22nd, parcel by parcel.
TASTING NOTE
Deep and richly fruited with black cherry, currant and raspberry, lifted by tea rose, white truffle and liquorice. Muscular yet balanced on the palate, with powerful ripe tannins and excellent acidity framing a long, rewarding finish.
FOOD PAIRING
Braised beef cheek with truffle and polenta
Color
Red
Blend %
100% Nebbiolo
Appellation
Barolo
Alcohol
14.5%
Reviews
Vinous - January 1, 2026 "The 2016 Barolo Le Vigne Sibi et Paucis is a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next decade-plus. Just starting to show its first signs of aromatic complexity, the 2016 is such a joy. Deep red-toned fruit, blood orange, pomegranate, spice, new leather, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco all meld together in the glass. Dynamic and expansive, with striking mid-palate depth and resonance, the 2016 is a delight. Floral and citrus overtones linger on the brilliant finish."
Wine Enthusiast - July 28, 2026 ". Like an offensive lineman wearing a perfectly tailored Zegna suit, this is raw and extraordinary power dressed in breathtaking elegance. Spiced red fruits and dried pressed flowers give way to macerated dark plum, black cherry, and licorice root with every sweet and savory spice imaginable woven through with effortless precision. A lot of wine. Smoked prime rib, a mountain of mushrooms, and a few bottles."
Jeb Dunnuck - April 8, 2026 "The 2016 Barolo Aleste Sibi Et Paucis is a slightly deeper ruby red color and offers layered depth in its notes of chocolate-covered black cherries, crushed dark stones, and tobacco. The palate here again is just stunning, with refined, well-defined tannins, refreshing acidity, and fabulous length and persistence."
James Suckling - March 23, 2026 "A restrained yet deep Barolo with aromas of meat, minerals, bark, licorice, tar, prunes and Parma violets. Graceful palate with firm, dusty tannins, super-tense acidity, a full body and graphite flavors. Sleek elegance with power and a super-long aftertaste."
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Vite Talin Barolo
Barolo
Vite Talin is Sandrone's rarest Barolo, born from a single anomalous Nebbiolo vine that Luciano discovered in 1987 in a vineyard leased from an elderly farmer known as "Talin." The vine's unusually small, dark clusters and distinctly compact character set it apart from everything growing around it. After 25 years of experimentation and DNA confirmation in 2017, the 2013 vintage became the first official release. Made from 100% Nebbiolo, it is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged three years in French oak before spending another three years in bottle, debuting a full six years after harvest. Rich, structured, and built for long cellaring.
Sibi et Paucis Le Vigne Barolo
Barolo
Le Vigne is a wine created from four different Nebbiolo vineyards, each of which brings its own contribution. This union generates an exceptionally complex wine that is round and harmonious on the palate, with fruity and spicy notes, and this approach of blending together plots is in fact the traditional one in Barolo.
Dolcetto d’Alba
Dolcetto d'Alba
Sandrone's Dolcetto d’Alba is produced using Dolcetto grapes from 11 different vineyards, all within the Barolo DOCG. Sandrone’s Dolcetto sees no time in wood and is a remarkably robust and complex example of the variety.
Le Vigne Barolo
Barolo
Le Vigne is a wine created from four different Nebbiolo vineyards, each of which brings its own contribution. This union generates an exceptionally complex wine that is round and harmonious on the palate, with fruity and spicy notes, and this approach of blending together plots is in fact the traditional one in Barolo.
Barbera d’Alba
Barbera d'Alba
The Sandrone Barbera d'Alba comes from three vineyards: Merli and Rocche di San Nicola in Novello, and Cascina Pe Mol in Monforte d’Alba. It is widely considered one of the most intense and complex Barberas produced.
Valmaggiore
Nebbiolo d'Alba
Valmaggiore is the product of Luciano’s incredible passion for the Nebbiolo grape variety and its different expression. Just 15 miles away from Barolo, in the Roero region, Nebbiolo produces a lighter structure and ripe, smooth tannins that are not unlike those of Pinot Noir. This is not a “baby Barolo” or a second wine at all – it is a distinct interpretation of Nebbiolo from a completely distinct geographic zone.
ALESTE Barolo
Barolo
A combination of the names of Luciano Sandrone's grandchildren ALEssia and STEfano, ALESTE is the new name for Luciano's first wine, the Barolo Cannubi Boschis, which garnered early acclaim with the international trade and press. This single-vineyard wine is typically dense and concentrated, but shows incredible harmony and balance.
