Luciano Sandrone, Nebbiolo d’Alba (Piedmont, Italy) 2015

 This wine is sourced from an unbelievably steep, impeccably maintained site in the Roero district near Alba.  I first saw it with Luciano Sandrone in May of 2010, and though I was a bit baffled that this famous, Barolo-based vintner would choose to showcase a vineyard outside of Barolo, one look was all it took for me to understand.  As for the wine, it is a model of tasteful restraint even in a vintage that will soon become famous for flavorful renditions of Nebbiolo…once the Barolos are released in about 18 months.  The color is quite light, and though the aromatics show beautifully soon after the cork is pulled, this sneaky wine only unfolds its bouquet fully after hours of aeration.  That goes for the flavors too, which are initially veiled behind lots of firm but fine-grained tannins.  However, patient tasters will find their patience rewarded with layered impressions of dried flowers, subtle red cherries, incense, baking spices and the faintest whiff of smoke.  There’s nothing pushy about this, and some tasters who have become accustomed to thick, gooey Nebbiolo in this era of climate change in the Langhe may find the wine underwhelming.  I encourage them to buy other wines…leaving more of this for those who appreciate the ethereal beauty of a classic such as this.