We don't think there is any question that Sandrone's Dolcetto is one of the very finest in the region. It's a wonderfully seductive, textural Piemontese red with intense aromatics and a beautifully bright palate that conjures up dark plum, cherry, musk, anise and spice notes, and finishes with a snap of graphite-like minerality, crisp acidity and refreshing tannin. It comes from a range of Sandrone sites: Crosia and Ravera on white, chalky clays in the Barolo commune, Castelletto and Cascina Pe Mol in Monforte d'Alba, and Ravera in Novello. These are all very high sites, between 350-450 meters, which is why the wine is so perfumed and intense. Each parcel is vinified separately before assemblage and only natural yeasts are used during a fermentation that occurs exclusively in tank.
These methods alone do not explain why this wine seems to be on such a different, more hedonistic level, when compared with most other Dolcetto. The answer to this riddle clearly lies in the quality of the terroirs, the low yields, the mature vines (on average 30+ years old), the harvesting dates and the fruit selection. Only perfectly ripe fruit from superb vineyards can produce a wine of this quality. Put simply, this is a wonderful Piemontese red, a superb Dolcetto and a superb introduction to this great Estate. Drink it now and over the next few years. Strongly recommended.
"Aromas and flavors of boysenberry, bilberry, cassis and mineral highlight this succulent Dolcetto. This is intense, yet balanced and lively, with a lingering aftertaste of fruit and graphite. Drink now through 2014." 90 points, Wine Spectator, Apr 30, 2011