Luciano Sandrone, a pioneer in Barolo, passed away on January 5th after a long bout with cancer. He was 76, and had spent more than the last four decades of his life devoted to winemaking in the Piedmont. He was known for being one of the “Barolo boys” – a group of young innovators who adopted modern techniques in a region staunchly cloaked in tradition.

Though he was a Barolo boy, he did not completely turn his nose up at tradition. While the movement embodied modernity, Luciano Sandrone was most known for balancing both modern concepts with more classical methods of fermentation and aging when many of his peers were opting for rotary fermenters and small barrel aging. It was this delicate equilibrium of old vs new that sees his wines so highly regarded today. His pioneer spirit never went away though, with one of his most recent projects, Barolo Vite Talin, being made from a Nebbiolo biotype he himself discovered and implemented in his vineyards.

In his absence, his brother Luca, who joined the business in 2013 to manage the vineyards, will carry on with the assistance of Luciano’s granddaughter Alessia in the cellar, and daughter Barbara handling the business aspect.

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