Barolo Sandrone Aleste 2014: The Iconic Wine That Captures Piedmontese Excellence
The 2014 Barolo Sandrone Aleste is a bold, structured, and richly austere wine. It already has wonderful, ethereal aromas that make it stand out as a solid Barolo. And we would have expected nothing less from Luciano Sandrone; there is only one problem with this wine: time.
Now it’s wasted; it’s just blossomed: the extract, structure, and tannins are just starting to soften, but not much. Tannins are like a pincer; the grain is fine, but the power of the tannins is undeniable, just like the overall elegance of this great Nebbiolo.
We tell you clearly, Barolo must be made like this; if this 2014 vintage were already velvety, pleasant, and mature, then we should worry, because it would mean that the wine would have no backbone and not even a future.
This is the price to pay for drinking great wines; otherwise, you put everything in barriques and anabolicize the must we did before.
We have said that time is a problem, but in reality, if it is now so absolutist and brazen, it means that it can easily evolve over the next 10, 20, and even 50 years, so buy it and put it in the cellar.
That said, we don’t want to say that it isn’t an enjoyable wine, only that you have to pair it with succulent meat dishes; otherwise, its tannic fury risks overwhelming your palate.
Let’s take a moment to think about how this Barolo Sandrone Aleste 2014 came to be: grapes from a single cru, the famous Cannubi Boschis, winemaking in open steel vats with native yeasts, malolactic fermentation, aging for two years in 500-liter oak barrels, and then 18 months in the bottle for more refinement.
The 2014 vintage was clement, sunny, and with little rainfall in the summer—circumstances that helped the Nebbiolo grapes reach good ripeness.
The bouquet
On the nose, raspberries and blackberries that have been soaked in alcohol make up a harsh fruit that is very strong.
Herbaceous streaks that make the nose interesting and balanced.
The leafy and earthy aromas that are typical of Nebbiolo, like truffle and ivy, are beautifully drawn, but the wood is still a little too strong.
Overall typicality and variety are good; it just needs to dispose of some wood.
The taste
On the palate, it has volume, a flavor thread that gives it thickness, and a tannic strength that is very strong.
The structure is wide and strong, and the tannins don’t let up for a second.
However, it is well made, with an intense but precise extraction. The fruit is appropriately bitter, inlaid with an infinite number of root flavors such as cinchona, licorice, and rhubarb. Overall, it is still a bit closed and massive, but with time it will blossom in all its splendor.
One of the Barolos with the greatest aging potential from the 2014 vintage
Price
120 euros is a high price for an iconic wine.
Pairings
Wine is suitable for taming succulent dishes like lamb, black truffle risotto, passatelli with Parmigiano fondue and truffle, bucatini all’amatriciana, roast beef, hamburger.