PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Luciano Sandrone is best known for his Barolos, but his Barbera d’Alba is where many customers meet the estate. Barbera is a delicate and demanding grape with bright natural acidity and almost no natural tannin, so Sandrone searched the area for the best soils and treats the wine with particular care in the cellar. The 2023 comes from vineyards in Monforte d’Alba (Cascina Pe Mol) and Novello (Ravera and Rocche di S.), and is aged in French oak tonneaux, which gives Barbera the structure it lacks. About 25,000 bottles were made, bottled in mid-December 2024. The estate describes it as “a medium-weight wine that will drink well for a decade.”
2023 was a hot year, and Barbera thrives in heat. Sandrone did less green harvest than usual, and maintaining the balance between leaf surface and fruit load was the key to wines of “lower alcohol than would be expected in such a hot vintage.” The result is a polished wine at 14% ABV.
The winery’s notes describe “a forward nose of creamy black and red raspberries” with “cherries, minerals and black plums,” and “graphite and wood notes” that “flesh out and frame the perfumes,” a palate that is “very smooth” and polished, “with deep black fruits and good freshness,” and a finish that is “intense with good persistence and freshness that keeps the wine light on its feet.”
Critics agree. James Suckling scored it 93 Points: “Full-bodied, it displays weight and density with supple fruit, bright black cherry flavors, lifted acidity and ripe, velvety tannins.” The Wine Advocate gave 92, noting “a nicely saturated color and a soft, velvety texture,” and called it “a comfort wine to drink when you don’t want the tannins or the fuss of a Nebbiolo.” Falstaff gave 91. Vinous scored it 90, finding it “laced with super-ripe red-toned fruit, cedar, mint, rose petal, cinnamon, mocha and lavender,” “aromatic and light on its feet,” and “quite the charmer.” Wine Spectator also gave 90: “A Barbera with weight, this offers black cherry, blackberry and boysenberry fruit, shaded with earth and an oak spice hint,” with “dense, pliable tannins.” It’s a rich, juicy, food-friendly red from one of Piedmont’s most respected producers.
Luciano Sandrone 2023 Barbera d’Alba is produced by Luciano Sandrone in Barolo, Piedmont, Italy. It is 100% Barbera from vineyards in Monforte d’Alba (Cascina Pe Mol) and Novello (Ravera and Rocche di S.), aged in French oak tonneaux. About 25,000 bottles were made, and it was bottled in mid-December 2024. Bottled at 14% ABV, 750ml.
James Suckling — 93 Points:
“Vinous and buttery aromas of bright red cherries and flowers. Full-bodied, it displays weight and density with supple fruit, bright black cherry flavors, lifted acidity and ripe, velvety tannins. Drink or hold.”
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate — 92 Points:
“The Luciano Sandrone 2023 Barbera d’Alba (with 25,000 bottles created) opens to a nicely saturated color and a soft, velvety texture. This is a comfort wine to drink when you don’t want the tannins or the fuss of a Nebbiolo.”
Falstaff — 91 Points
Vinous — 90 Points:
“Sandrone’s 2023 Barbera d’Alba is laced with super-ripe red-toned fruit, cedar, mint, rose petal, cinnamon, mocha and lavender. Aromatic and light on its feet, with lovely forward fruit, the 2023 is quite the charmer. Floral and spice notes extend the finish.”
Wine Spectator — 90 Points (September 2025):
“A Barbera with weight, this offers black cherry, blackberry and boysenberry fruit, shaded with earth and an oak spice hint. Rich, juicy and firmly structured, with dense, pliable tannins leaving a grip on the lingering aftertaste.”
Luciano Sandrone (official tasting notes):
“A forward nose of creamy black and red raspberries jumps from the glass, with notes of cherries, minerals and black plums for complexity. The supporting graphite and wood notes flesh out and frame the perfumes. Very intense deep purple color typical of Barbera. The palate is very smooth and demonstrates a high degree of polish, with deep black fruits and good freshness... The finish shows intensity with good persistence and freshness that keeps the wine light on its feet; the overall effect is of a Barbera of elegance and completeness.”
Nose
Deep purple. Creamy black and red raspberry lead, with cherry, black plum, violet, minerals, graphite, and a touch of vanilla oak.
Palate
Full-bodied and velvety, with black cherry, blackberry, and boysenberry, with mocha, cedar, and spice, lifted by bright acidity.
Finish
Intense and persistent, with floral and spice notes and fresh acidity.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Appellation | Barbera d’Alba DOC, Piedmont, Italy |
| Variety | 100% Barbera |
| Vintage | 2023 |
| Producer | Luciano Sandrone — Barolo |
| Vineyards | Monforte d’Alba (Cascina Pe Mol), Novello (Ravera, Rocche di S.) |
| Aging | French oak tonneaux |
| Production | ~25,000 bottles |
| ABV | 14% |
| Critics | James Suckling 93 · Wine Advocate 92 · Falstaff 91 · Vinous 90 · Wine Spectator 90 |
| Style / Identity | A polished, velvety, medium-weight Barbera from a Barolo master; the “comfort wine” alternative to Nebbiolo |
| Aromas & Flavors | Black cherry, raspberry, plum, violet, mocha, cedar, graphite |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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