2013 Luciano Sandrone 'Vite Talin' Barolo

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RP

Sandrone's 2013 Barolo Vite Talin is just as fabulous from bottle as it was from cask. Rich, unctuous and deeply layered in the glass, the 2013 possesses tremendous density and voluptuousness. Today, it is a bit closed down following its bottling about six months before this tasting. One of the things I admire most about the 2013 is the juxtaposition of translucence and power, which, at its essence, is what great Barolo is all about. The Vite Talin (previously reviewed here as a Riserva) is new to the range. The Vite Talin emerges from a parcel within the Rivassi cru known as Talin with heavily virused vines that produce a minuscule crop. For many years I have tasted the Talin Barolo from cask as one of the potential candidates for Le Vigne. During all of that time, Sandrone ultimately decided to sell the entirety of the production off in bulk. Until 2013, when the Sandrones decided to bottle the wine on its own, with an old-school label that celebrates the Sandrone family's history prior to the founding of the Luciano Sandrone winery.