Luciano Sandrone Nebbiolo Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore 2006

Sandroneandrsquo;s 2006 Barolo Le Vigne possesses awesome balance as intricately woven layers of aromas and flavors come together in the glass. The 2006 is an especially powerful Le Vigne boasting a solid core of floral, red fruits supported by firm yet elegant tannins. This, too, shows the considerable drive and focus that is the hallmark of the vintage. The wineandrsquo;s overall balance is impeccable. Le Vigne is made from parcels in Vignane (Barolo), Conterni and Ceretta (Monforte) and Merli (Novello). The wines are aged separately for a year in 500-liter barrels. The final blend is assembled, after which the wine spends an additional year in oak prior to being bottled. Anticipated maturity: 2016andndash;2026.

Black cherry, plum, tar and licorice flavors are sweet and offset the firm structure in this red, which has a fine, spicy aftertaste. Thereandrsquo;s an almost lush texture, and though this is balanced, it needs time to come together. Best from 2014 through 2030.

Black cherry, plum, tar and licorice flavors are sweet and offset the firm structure in this red, which has a fine, spicy aftertaste. Thereandrsquo;s an almost lush texture, and though this is balanced, it needs time to come together. Best from 2014 through 2030.

Bright deep ruby-red. Complex aromas of red cherry, blueberry and brown spices. Full-bodied and deep, with high but harmonious acidity giving focus to the red cherry, camphor and mineral flavors. Youthfully chewy yet smooth tannins stain the palate on the long, firm finish. Though the fruit is starting to show through, this vintage of Le Vigne maintains an air of austerity and strictness that will take years to shed. Forget about this beauty in your cellar for at least another ten years.

Good deep, bright red. Darker fruits on the nose than the Cannubi Boschis, complicated by brown spices; less forthcoming and perfumed today. Then superripe, broad and deep in the mouth, with a brooding medicinal character to its flavors of dark fruits, brown spices and smoky underbrush. The energy from calcaire and the winersquo;s huge tannins give this wine a chewy and very young impression, but therersquo;s plenty of sweetness here. Sandrone will probably delay the release of this huge wine, which he says has ldquo;similar numbers to the Cannubi Boschis but a different sensation in the mouth.rdquo;

Fully saturated ruby-red. Musky, ripe aromas of red cherry, blackberry and tobacco, with hints of truffle and tar. Enters the mouth full and dense, then turns juicy in the middle, with a suave touch to its rather ripe black plum, blackberry and tar flavors. Smoothly tannic on the long, impressive finish, with a lingering textural creaminess and persistent hints of camphor, sandalwood and mint. As good as this wine is, Irsquo;ve never been quite as impressed by it as some other experts: I find it a little too outsized and rich and lacking the laser-like purity of the greatest Barolo vintages. Still, as this is very much an infant, itrsquo;s likely to develop more nuance and refinement in bottle, at which point my score will look ungenerous. Donrsquo;t even think of opening a bottle for at least another eight years, and enjoy it for a couple decades after that.

The 2000 Barolo Le Vigne is made from parcels across multiple vineyards, which is always an advantage in challenging vintages. The 2000 Le Vigne is fresher and more delineated than the Cannubi Boschis, although it lacks that winersquo;s sheer pedigree. Pretty floral notes are woven into a textured fabric of red fruit and spices. There is just enough freshness for this to continue to drink well for a handful of years. Anticipated maturity: 2011ndash;2018.