The 2016 Barolo Vite Talin is a stunning wine, just as it always has been. Over the least few years, the 2016 has gained a measure of classicism it did not show as a young wine. The purity of the flavors, the wine's balance, its pedigree, well, they are all off the charts. The Vite Talin emerges from two parcels with heavily virused vines that naturally produce a minuscule crop. It spent two years in 500-liter tonneaux and a year in cask.

Wow, this is super-succulent and silky smooth with concentrated aromas of plums, berries and fresh sous-bois notes of dried leaves and flowers. A note of powdery wet stone adds another dimension. Full-bodied palate, where some bright, oaky notes add their weight, creating a well-pitched blend of still firm oak and fruit tannin that creates a measured framework for all the complex flavors. The finish is long and driven. A multifaceted Barolo that’s a joy to taste now, but still needs a few years to show its best. Try from 2025.

Deep red. Multilayered aromas and flavours of ripe red cherry, camphor, raspberry preserves, coffee, cocoa and smoke, plus a dusting of herbs and minerals for added interest. Rich ripe and thick, but also much more elegant than when I first tasted it years ago, with a very long suave mouthcoating presence on the nearly interminable finish. This is a noticeable step up in concentration, precision and complexity compared to the 2014 Vite Talin, which though also a stunning wine, can’t help but lose the comparison with the 2016 Vite Talin (2016 is one of the best all-time Barolo vintages). So there’s a logic behind the difference in scores for these two wines. From a specific, virus-affected Nebbiolo biotype that Sandrone identified roughly twenty years ago (and is proceeding to rid of the virus too) that he essentially brought back to life as a new wine. Drinking window: 2030-2045. Ian D'Agata Terroirsense.com

This is a wine I have jealously followed since its birth. The Luciano Sandrone 2016 Barolo Vite Talin is another superstar. This is a complete wine, with depth, intensity and a fully generous and embracing personality. It's like a warm hug. The tannins are tight and the wine needs more time to fully soften. At this young point in its life, it offers plenty of dark primary fruit, spice and black licorice. ML

A bright, well-defined red, featuring red and black cherry, black currant, eucalyptus and mineral aromas and flavors. This is supported by a matrix of dense yet refined tannins, which yield to the ripe fruit in the end. Feels almost weightless, yet packs plenty of flavors and structure. Best from 2025 through 2047. 208 cases made, 25 cases imported. BS

Barolo. Lustrous almost glowing ruby. Gorgeous nose of cherry with hints of liquorice and oak. Much more embryonic on the palate and richly tannic. Great length and balance. Energetic tannins and acidity. Much more to come.
Tasted Nov 2021 - Walter Speller