Barolo Vite Talin, Azienda Agricola Luciano Sandrone 2017

The 2017 Barolo Vite Talin is a total stunner. Dark, rich and sensual, the Vite Talin captures all of the natural richness of the heavily virused, low-yielding clone the Sandrone family propagated in their parcels within Le Coste and Rivasi, both in Barolo. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, spice, cedar, tobacco and kirsch are all dialed up in this explosive, heady Barolo. The 2017 is just next-level wine. Superb.

This wine is made with a new clone of Nebbiolo that was identified by the Sandrone family. The 2017 Barolo Vite Talin now occupies the top position in the family portfolio. It represents 30 years of work by Luciano Sandrone, who started his career as cellar master at Marchesi di Barolo. I am told that Nebbiolo is recognized by seven DNA indicators, and Talin (the clone is named after the old farmer who found the first vine) has all seven. Today, the Sandrone family has propagated the clone and is cleaning it from viruses to see how it behaves in the future. Alessia Sandrone is in charge of this process. They notice that berry size is half that of normal Nebbiolo, and the wine is consequently more concentrated and dense. This hot vintage delivers lots of extra power and fruit weight with pressed blackberry, earth, tobacco, clay, autumnal leaf, iodine and candied orange.