“[Vite Talin] is a game changer for the Sandrone family and for Barolo.” Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate
This groundbreaking wine is made from a unique clone of Nebbiolo (now officially called Vite Talin) that Luciano Sandrone identified in 1987 and began slowly propagating. It is one of his great legacies and was an instant sensation when first released in 2013, receiving 100-point reviews from Antonio Galloni and Monica Larner. Today, the wine comes from three small plots: Le Coste, Drucà and Rivassi. There are only 8,000 vines in production, leading to around 2,000 bottles of wine. But what a wine!
Barbara Sandrone tells us the Talin berry size is half that of normal Nebbiolo. In an average year, a Vite Talin berry weighs less than a gram, whereas a berry from Cannubi weighs 2.2 grams. The resulting juice is considerably denser, and the winemaking is adapted to include extended macerations and aging, with three years in large, 2500-litre botti and a further three years in bottle before release.
The 2018 is a tremendous wine and mind-blowing for the year. In general, you can expect a more mineral, ferrous and dark wine, more classic in structure and personality—something encouraged by the traditional vinification—yet also offering great finesse and complexity. It is unique, and another remarkable chapter in the history of this estate.