More about Elio Sandri

Barolo doesn't get much more old-school, or much quieter, than Elio Sandri. He makes his wines at Cascina Disa in the Perno cru of Monforte d'Alba, where he lives and works, and he has never chased attention, which is exactly why collectors chase him.

Elio's father Giovanni bought Cascina Disa in 1965, and Elio made his first vintage in 1981. Today his daughter Luna and son Riccardo work with him. The estate is 7.5 hectares in one contiguous stretch, farmed organically on steep slopes. Nebbiolo goes in the sunniest spots and Dolcetto and Barbera in the cooler ones. In the cellar he does things the long way. Fermentations start on their own in cement tanks, and the wines age in big old Slavonian oak botti for anywhere from 18 months to six years, depending on the vintage, with no new wood. There's no fining or filtration, and only a touch of sulfur at bottling.

The range runs from Dolcetto, Barbera d'Alba and Langhe Nebbiolo up to Barolo Perno and the Perno Riserva. The Langhe Nebbiolo and Barbera are the easy way into his world. The Barolos are classic Monforte: perfumed and transparent, with a firm, iron-edged grip, and built for the cellar. Production is tiny, around 2,000 cases a year.