Name: 2001 Sandrone Barolo
Grape: Nebbiolo
Region: Piedmonte
Price: $105.00 to $120.00
I totally splurged last night! As part of an annual tradition, every Valentine's Day we cash in the change we have collected throughout the year and use the money to buy an indulgent bottle of wine.
This year we collected a-lot of change, enough in fact to buy a bottle of Barolo. Often called, "The King" of Italian wines, Barolos are collected, cherished and ridiculously expensive. Made entirely from the Nebbiolo grape in Piedmont. Barolos can be luscious, deep, complex and very interesting.
Last night we tried the 2001 Le Vigne from Luciano Sandrone. Sandrone is a relatively new winemaker in Barolo, after many years spent working for the formidable Marchesi di Barolo; Sandrone was able to purchase his very own, small estate. Sandrone is a boutique producer who makes a limited amount of wine.
The Le Vigne was lovely but elusive; it took some time to open up. At first the wine was tannic, clenched and somewhat minty. After a heavy shake in the decanter and some time in the glass it began to open up; becoming wonderfully deep with black and red fruit, great smokiness and a texture that was unreal. The complexity of flavors, length of the finish and awesome aromatics made it worth the splurge.
Stores: Morrell & Company $104.00 (1 Rockefeller Plaza), Grapes The Wine Co. $120.00 (11 Purdy Ave., Rye), Astor Wines & Spirits $119.99 (399 Lafayette @ 4th St.)
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Interesting choice for your spare change. I put mine on my mortgage principle every 6-9 months. This time it was $155.00. I call this my stealth savings plan. But maybe you don't have a mortgage.
That seems like an unnecessary and petty comment Charlotte.
My bad, I thought this was "The Kitchen", not CNBC.com
And it's "mortgage principal", not principle.
I appreciate this tip and will gladly welcome all others in this high end category. I never spend this much on a bottle of wine (would if I could) but I am now shopping for one for a special occasion. It's hard to know where to begin since it's not my usual.
What are your fantastic recommendations? Thanks.
Barbara, email me directly: winegal@gmail.com, and I'll gladly help you pick a special bottle.
Jenny, this sounds so delicious. What a nice treat for V-day. I definitely want to try Barolo now!
Did you enjoy the bottle of wine on its own or did you purchase it to drink with a specific meal?
Hi Erin,
Actually, the second part of our splurge was a black truffle, which we grated on top of fresh Fettucine. Barolo with truffles is a great match. Sadly our truffle was bland and not worth the expense.
The earthiness of mushrooms and truffles pairs nicely with Barolo but these are wines that are hearty enough to stand up to meat or rich stews.
I'm sorry the truffle was bland :(
I've been wanting to try to make osso buco and it sounds like a Barolo would go nicely. Thanks!
This is a wonderful way to celebrate Valentine's Day! A lovely shared experience without the pressure and baggage of fretting about finding the right gift.
Sorry, I really didn't mean it as a criticism. I meant it as an alternative way to use your spare change. I thought maybe people might discuss that topic. I once used my spare change to buy airline tickets for a vacation with my boyfriend. I thought splurging on a bottle was an _interesting_ idea. That's what I said. I thought mine was an interesting idea too.
And, sorry for the misspelling. It happens when I type. No offense meant, sorry it was taken.
I read last month on Discardian a great idea: once a year, like every second saturday in February, have a Let's Drink that Wine Night where you take the special bottle you were given as a gift or whatever and always said you'd drink for a special occasion and go ahead and drink it. Similar idea, and even better with friends with bottles they've been saving, you can create a small tasting party.