About ten producers make wine in the Valmaggiore cru in Roero (many of whom are reviewed here), and these wines get better each year I return to taste them. The 2016 Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore is particularly beautiful, thanks to ideal growing conditions during that year. The Sandrone family counts 3.5 hectares in this location. As an alternative to Barolo, this wine presents a soft and graceful side of Nebbiolo with delicate fruit nuances and distinct mineral etchings. Indeed, the wine is almost salty in taste. The sandy soils of Valmaggiore contribute to shaping the wine's lively ruby appearance and those tangy wild berry aromas. This wine is only aged in neutral oak. (ML)