One of Barolo’s Most Coveted Producers Expands Its U.S. Footprint

Rosenthal Wine Merchant adds Elio Sandri’s Cascina Disa to its portfolio, growing the U.S. presence of the Monforte d’Alba estate.

Written by Jeffrey Porter

Photography by Clay McLachlan

For years, finding a bottle of Elio Sandri's Cascina Disa required either knowing the right person, making the pilgrimage to his Monforte d'Alba estate, or getting very lucky. Fortunately, that is about to change.

Rosenthal Wine Merchant, one of the most respected importers in the United States with nearly 50 years of history bringing artisan European wines to American tables, has officially signed Elio Sandri's Cascina Disa, adding another layer to their stellar estates of the Langhe.

For those already familiar with Cascina Disa or Elio Sandri, this is particularly exciting news. For those who may not be as familiar, you are in for a treat. These are the wines we all crave: pure, delicious, earnest, and intentional. Little is made, but it is worth the search and not just for the Barolo but from the entire range.

Perched on the hill of Perno, just east of the village in Monforte d'Alba, Cascina Disa is both a winery and a home. Elio, alongside his daughter Luna and son Riccardo, farm seven hectares of Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and a small amount of Merlot with a patience that borders on the philosophical. The estate has been in the family since 1965, when Elio's father purchased the property the same year Elio was born. Elio has been at the helm of the winery since the 2000 vintage.

The farming is organic in practice if not in certification. Natural yeast, minimal intervention, and a commitment to releasing wine far later than most estates define the approach. Rosenthal's debut release will be the 2019 Barolo, while most Langhe estates are releasing their 2022’s.

Elio describes his philosophy in his own words: "My belief is to walk slowly through time. This pace of moving through life has led me to forge a strong alliance with the vineyard and with the soil that hosts it. Every gesture towards agriculture is the fruit of a gentle thought, never predatory."

The connection between Sandri and Rosenthal runs deeper than the timing suggests. Elio first “met” Neal Rosenthal after watching the 2005 documentary Mondovino and immediately recognized a shared set of values. A first meeting at Cascina Disa followed in 2011, but Elio was already committed to another importer, and the timing was not right. It would take another decade and a half for circumstances to align finally.

"Today I am very excited that my wines are taking a new path in the United States," Elio said of the partnership. He was equally clear about what drove the decision: "My change is entirely unconnected to market pressure. It was made in pursuit of a valorization of my past, present, and future work."

For Rosenthal COO Jeremy Sells, the turning point was a single bottle, a 2009 Barolo Riserva shared with a friend roughly a decade ago. "I recall thinking that I had to have more of this wine in my life," Sells said. He describes Cascina Disa as a natural fit for the portfolio: "A compelling grower with human-scale holdings in a classic terroir." The signing also marks a milestone for Rosenthal, making Sandri the portfolio's first producer rooted in Monforte d'Alba.

"There is a lot of wine from the Langhe out there and it’s rare to find a grower working at a high level whose holdings are contained within a single hillside," says Sells. "Sandri’s wines are distinctively from their place of origin, a 7-hectare plot on the hill of Perno within the Monforte d’Alba district, and are classically structured, yet elegant and fragrant."

The full range will be available nationally beginning in early April, including the Dolcetto d'Alba, Barbera d'Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo, Barolo Perno, Barolo Perno Riserva, and a small quantity of the Barolo Perno Vigna Ceretta Riserva.

The hunt, at last, is over. For some, it’s just beginning.