Barolo Le Vigne, Luciano Sandrone 2004

Sandrone’s 2004 Barolo Le Vigne is equally compelling. A bit deeper than the 2008, the 2004 (also from a long growing season) has developed every bit as well as I had hoped it would when I first tasted the separate components from barrel many years ago.

The 2004 Barolo Le Vigne is a phenomenal effort. Sweet, long and pure, it reveals an expansive core of perfumed ripe red fruit, flowers and spices. Despite its notable concentration it is made in a restrained style, showing remarkable elegance as well as harmony, with superb length and finessed tannins on the close. Le Vigne is made from the Ceretta, Vignane, Merli and Conterni vineyards. I have tasted the wines from these plots separately on many occasions. Curiously, I have never been particularly impressed by any of the wines on their own, yet when they are blended the results can be extraordinary, as is the case with the sublime 2004 Le Vigne. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2019.